DRAGON BALL : THE MOVIE
by Torcharson
Summary: Hey name's Torcharson, ive been here awhile, enjoyed many stories, um this is a rewriting of a movie i disliked which is dragonball evolution. i hate long intros so without further a due i present to you the real deal: Dragon Ball
1. Chapter 1

DRAGONBALL

* * *

"If ever somebody told you that monsters do not exist, do not believe such a person, for such a person is apparently lying…._ Lying very badly_." - An Ancient Master

* * *

What if I were to tell you that I knew of a horrific being that existed eons ago, the legend of an evil demon that fell from the distant heavens, would you believe me, or would you just dismiss it as an old crazed man's words.

Well, comrades, you would be wise so as to heed the tale that I am about tell, for only the foolish would ignore it, and reap his own dire consequences. This chronicle is the most fearsome story of our history. The bloodlust of mankind put together ever since its beginning couldn't suffice the horrors entailed in this account. No power, neither height or depth could contain the evil of the one responsible, nor life or death could discipline or end his tyranny. The atrocities of the one and only… Piccolo Daimao the feared Demon King. An ancient story once told to me by my Master, a story of 282 years old.

It is said that the beautiful planet we live on, Earth, was always once a generally peaceful place. Mankind enjoyed one another's company and comradery was abundant. Children frolicked and played happily together. People bonded with one another well. National divisions and wars were nonexistent. The Earth was healthy and free from the profuse pollution we succumb to today, violence was its minimum and love, at its zenith. Everything was good, fine and perfect under the sun.

Up until an immense tumble from the heavens above, was heard worldwide. The Demon King had fallen, and his anger and rage burned inside him like a blazing inferno. His despair ravaged the lands on this beautiful and once peaceful planet. He ruled over our society with an iron fist, an iron bloody fist. His word was law and nothing more. His demonic children literally fed upon us humans for mere entertainment, just to hear our blood curdling cries. He wanted nothing more than a dark age ruled forever by him and his spores.

The world governments were at the strict mercy of the evil being until they culminated together and created a super elite military organization, strictly designed to eradicate this planet of this "disease" and its parasites. The powerful military was given state of the art technology and supreme power beyond their wildest dreams. Finances and donations were bleeding out to them .They quickly outclassed all the other armies in the world and became the sole opposer to Lord Piccolo. The battle between these great powers raged on tremendously for years, but to no avail. Soon the military was outmatched by the Demon King and his children. The military withdrew into the shadows and so did all hope for humanity , that is until one man from the distant mountains stepped forth.

He was an ancient master and inventor of the Ki martial arts, which is a traditional form of Oriental self-defense or combat that utilized physical skill , coordination and life energy which channeled directly from your soul and the metaphysical to the outside world, hence creating a deadly energy wave that was emitted upon the desired target. This man, apparently, was now the last line of defense for the planet Earth.

No other man dared to challenge Piccolo head on by themselves, but this ancient sensei had the wisdom of a thousand sages and the endowed strength of the gods. He knew what position he placed himself in once he came up to the Daimao, but he had a plan that would seal Piccolo… and his fate forever.

Mafuba, it was the name of the technique the old master or sensei used. With one smooth and eloquent movement he placed the golden jar he carried along with him, in front of Piccolo and used his "ki" or energy to take control of the Demon King's body and forced it into the jar, thereby sealing him in their for eternity, but with a very dear price, his own life.

The sensei had utilized all his ki and even tapped into his life energy and passed out and died right in front of my master, but before he died he uttered a special prophecy to my dear master : " This Lord of Darkness will once again rise from his confinement and ravage this blue planet, but not until a bright star that will fall from the heavens and penetrate it with the shining saber of light."

But the wounds left by Lord Piccolo are still festering even to this day. Fifty years after the defeat of Piccolo ,the secret military, which was created by the countries' governments to destroy Lord Piccolo, broke out of their control and pursued their own selfish desire. Calling themselves the Red Ribbon Army , their might was one to be reckoned with and their violent pursuit of seven magical orbs, believed to be left behind by Piccolo, was dividing this world into turmoil again. But luckily, my master and other experienced martial artists have trained me and other eager learners to take down the injustice we face today, and never again have to live in the afterglow of Piccolo's burning anger, and I'll also never forget what my master told me once: "Gohan," he said, "if you ever feel a sense of hopelessness in a time of deep despair, remember to always look up into the sky and wish upon "that star." Yes, that coming **bright star.**

**CHAPTER 1**

The old man hobbled out of his bed and walked out his stone cottage. He went outside to smell the fresh air. The wind was soothing and caressed his visage, blowing through his white hair and enlightening his face, bringing back beautiful memories of his joyful youth.

"Nature's taken good care of me." He whispered to himself.

He continued to stare down on the forest below, he lived on top of a tall green hill. Mt. Paozu was his home, away from the frantic city life and treacherous human civilization that frothed on outside his peaceful countryside. The old man named Gohan continued to walk down the dirt path outside his door towards the pile of wood by his favorite well. His movements were soft ,calm, and calculated He did not have the same stress that many other "advanced civilizations" suffered from. He walked to the logs and counted them.

"157, OK now let's just gather them…" said the old man, as he started to toss the logs one by one on his right hand, " Whoa OK , good all 157, excellent, now to just…" The 78 year old man threw the wood up in the air as he jumped up, and with one swift movement chopped down all the logs ,in mid air, into tiny pieces of firewood. The chopped pieces quickly tumbled upon one another in a neat stack, as he landed back down on the ground satisfied, facing away from the firewood pile.

"Heh, now for the fire."

The old master turned around and placed both his hands out toward the pile and clasped them together. He carefully brought his hands to his right side, before slowly unclenching them and cupping them together, as if he were holding a fragile chick. He inhaled deeply and let nature guide his movement and thoughts, a sudden overwhelming peace descended upon him. The wind around him kicked up and swirled about him as his hands started to glow a soft blue color, and with one quick movement he jutted out both his hands as if he suddenly pushed away an obstacle, and the aura surrounding his hands jetted out towards the firewood consuming it, and lighting it on fire.

"And God said let there be light." He smiled.

" Now to get that basin to wash myself up." The elderly man turn to walk toward the house when he suddenly heard a strange rustle in the nearby bushes. He stopped.

"Hmm, must be the wind." He said, after looking around his surroundings and continuing to walk on towards the cottage.

He then heard the sudden snap of a twig. He stopped again.

"The wind is quite fierce today." He then continued on walking.

Then a sweat bead dropped to the ground from a distance. The old man stopped once more.

" Heh, heh, that's funny, it's a pretty sunny day, no sign of rain, and yet…"

Then a popping sound rang towards the old man's direction, ripping through the air with great speed, the bullet missed Gohan by several centimeters, after he dodged it, by simply tilting his head quickly to the side.

He turned around slowly and looked at the surrounding trees and bushes by his cottage, giving off a smart smirk.

"So, how's the morning gentlemen?" asked Gohan.

" Don't worry, I know it's you guys, I could tell the difference between the wind passing by and vermins like you coming up here."

"FIRE!!!"

Bullets rained in upon the old man from all directions, aiming straight at his life to end it.

He simply smiled and quickly threw himself in a headstand and created a windmill kick by spinning his legs rapidly, thereby creating a strong enough wind to freeze the bullets in their tracks and drop to the ground, every single one.

TINK, TNK, TK one by one the bullets dropped on the ground, as he lifted himself up to brush off his brown shirt and kahki vest.

"You boys, really know how to get dirty." Chuckled the old man.

" So, you're still stubborn, eh old man?" a colonel came out from behind the bushes. He was wearing a purple trench coat and had a red scarf wrapped around his neck. His chiseled body shined like the midday sun from under his coat. His face was stern and cold. He was void of any emotions except complete anger.

"We meet again Colonel Silver." Replied Gohan.

" Do you think this military likes to play games gramps?"

"No, but I do."

"Grr… just give us the orb."

"Don't you mean the dragon ball?"

"I don't care what's it call! Just give it to me!!!"

"Well then, I don't care to give it to you."

"Oh yeah, WELL SEE IF YOU CAN DODGE THIS!!!"

The Colonel quickly pulled out a .9 mm and shot it at the unshaken old man.

The bullet sped towards the old master's forehead, as he was looking around at the green bushes.

'Hmm these bushes need to be trimmed' he thought.

Without a moment's notice, his hand rapidly shot up to catch the silver bullet before it made its way into his head and out.

"Boys," asked the old sensei as he was still looking at the greenery, holding the sizzling bullet in his aged hand, " don't you think the bushes need a little trimming, I mean with you guys coming over often, I haven't anytime with the yard work."

The Colonel lowered his gun and started to put away his weapon, as he foolishly charged him.

"Die, in the name of the Red Ribbon Army!!!!"

The Colonel ran towards the old man with a pocket knife and tried to tackle him, but instead was stopped when Gohan grabbed the point of his blade, stopping all his movement.

" Arrghhghghhh." The colonel struggled furiously to continue on his charge.

"Oh man the colonel is being done in right here guys" said the observing soldiers.

"SHOOT HIS HEAD YOU FOOLS!!" screamed the Colonel.

All the guns started to take their aim.

"One shot, and the Colonel's dead." Said Gohan sternly.

"Arrrgghhh, Aaaaahhh!!!!!!" The colonel lifted his other hand to punch the old obstacle that was making a mockery of him, but was quickly stopped when the old man suddenly grabbed it, slowly subduing his hand back down.

" I'll say it one final time, leave and never, ever come back." said Gohan to the defeated and embarrassed platoon.

The next thing that could be heard was the Colonel coughing blood, Gohan's knee was buried inside the Colonel's stomach causing him to fade from reality.

"Oh God, did you see when that old man kneed the Colonel?" asked one of the soldiers to his frightened companions.

" N-no way, he just kept staring at us the whole time while he had the Colonel." One managed to utter out.

"The Colonel's down let's get out HERE!!!"

The whole platoon picked themselves up from their position and ran off the hill and disappeared down into the jungle below.

"You forgot your garbage!!" screamed Gohan as he lifted himself his arms up and threw the Colonel over the hill.

" OK ," sighed Gohan, " now for that soothing bath."

* * *

Meanwhile, across country in the Red Ribbon Army HQ the air is tense. The beeping of computers and furious typing could be heard surrounding the HQ. Men and women running up and down as if busy ants gathering food for winter. Chatting, swearing and yelling flew overhead. The HQ was constantly busy, searching all over the world for the mystical orbs called Dragon Balls. Their purpose was to gather all seven to completely dominate this planet for eternity and endowing themselves with immortality.

"Sir Cpt. Yellow said he honed in on the position of the fifth Dragon Ball."

"Sir, Lt. Col. Violet is positioned and caught in a fierce fire fight with the tribe from the East Swamp."

"Sir, Col. Silver has been taken out by-"

"Enough!!!" screamed the Commander.

" Too many things at once, the only reports I care for is the report on these Dragon Balls!!"

'Well, Commander Red if I may speak sir, I-I… have the whereabouts of the fifth Dragon Ball."

The Commander stared at the intimidated soldier as he stood across from the Commander's powerful gaze. Commander Red was the chief of the Red Ribbon Army. His experience as a war hero and a General for many years in the army has given him the cold blood he needed to run this ruthless terrorist military organization. Despite his short stature his presence was quite fierce and commanding. He stared furiously into the soldiers' eyes as they quickly filed in the Commander's suite, bringing him constant updates.

"It took us twenty two years to track that ball down, where is it?" He asked.

" Cpt. Yellow said that he thinks it's inside a volcano ,off the west plains of Gibraltar."

" Think?!" he asked, clearly annoyed.

" Well, the report goes as follows Sir: One cadet spotted a shining golden orb as she was searching around the edge of the dormant volcano, she decided to tell the Captain, and he granted her permission to go down there with three other soldiers."

"Who is this cadet, soldier?"

"U-u-uhh, s-she goes by the name.. of ," he frantically flipped over his notes, searching desperately," H-her name is… ah, Cadet Mai, sir."

"Cadet Mai, eh," he lighted up a cigar and blew it into the soldier's face.

" Well, what's the current status?"

"Well, Commander sir, uhh.."

The other soldiers and stewards standing there felt sorry for their poor comrade. Clearly the Commander was starting to get impatient with the nervous soldier, and his doom was soon inevitable.

"W-well, U-uh-uu-mmm, the situation is-"

The Commander started to bite down on his cigar and drummed his hard fingers on the cold hard mahogany desk that was surrounded by the elegant, cathedral like pristine room. He slowly turned to face his personal assistant and second in charge of the army, Officer Black.

"Our friend seems to have a stuttering problem- eh Black?"

"Don't worry Commander we'll soon correct that." Black was a tall black man, about 6'6. he was the closest one to the Commander and was the Vice Commander of the Red Ribbon Army. He stood by the short Commander, but not too close though , the Commander detested looking small of in front of his second.

The dark officer started to go in his vest pocket to pull out a handgun and eliminate the useless nuisance that was standing in front of them.

" Soldier," called Officer Black.

The poor soldier looked up to see death waiting to take him down.

" Here's your 401K , take it with you to the grave."

"WAIT!!!!"

Before the trigger could be pulled, another soldier came in through the tall wooden doors, down the long red carpet towards the Commander's desk.

"I-I-m so sorry, f-forgive me Commander, but I've ju-just received an updated status on Cpt. Yellow , and h-his t-team sir." Huffed the tired soldier.

"His team has been eliminated."

"Eliminated?!?" asked the Commander. He stood up slamming his hands on the desk, searching for an explanation.

"Y-yes Sir, it was sudden and quite a shock, but I do have the last transmission to us right here in this recorder, it is quite inaudible and frightening."

" What is the meaning of this Black?"

"I have no idea Commander, let's listen to the transmission."

" Soldier, bring it over here!" yelled the angry Commander, his shiny red hair clearly gave away his flamboyant character, and uncontrolled temper.

"Yes Sir."

The soldier placed the recorder on the Commander's desk and played the transmission.

Inaudible voices started to play off in everyone's ear.

" H-Help hkksdl-sggg- SOMEBODY---OH G-GOD FOR THE LOVE OF GO----- HE'S

HERE----!!!!---AAAAAHHH!!!---PLEASE---- OH—GO—

Crashes , explosions and blood curdling screams could be heard coming through the transmission. It started to send chills up on the staff's spine.

"W---EE----NEVE----WHAT IS THAT THING---BACK---UPP---OH—AAAHAH----IT'S HI--!!!!--------RUUNN---P----O----"

The transmission stopped.

"Whatever it was Commander, our team has obviousouly never faced it anything like it." Said the shaken soldier, as he was grabbing the recorder.

" Send Copper's team over there, he should be able to figure out what in the devil's name is going on over there!!"

"Right away Commander."

"What is going on Black?" asked the distraught Commander.

"I have no idea sir, but sending Lt. Copper over should give us answers to this situation,"

" Everyone here is dismissed, GET OUT!!"

"Yes, Commander, Sir." Everyone said as they quickly exited out the huge commanding suite.

The Commander plopped back on his seat with hands slamming the desk.

"We just need three more balls, three! Who could mess this up now!!!"

"Sir, rest assured it is nothing we can't handle. We are the world's strongest military no power or group can withstand us. Cpt. Yellow was just living up to his cowardly name." replied Black.

"Yes of course, oh, and Black if Yellow survives this little ordeal, I would like you to deal with him accordingly." Said the Irish Commander, as he opened his bottom drawer and revealed four smooth dragon balls. "Because these guys are too precious to be mishandled by a buffoon like him."

"Rightly put sir, Rightly put." Agreed Black, as he pulled out a palm pilot from his shirt pocket crossing out Cpt. Yellow's name from the military roster.

* * *

The spiritual chanting could be heard from afar. The surviving Nuukub clan danced around the fire of the evening sky, batting their staffs on the ground and clapping their hands to the sky.

The pale blue little creatures were of a very diminutive stature. They would stand knee height to any average human. They were of a different breed and kind. Their ears were pointy and there eyes were large and encompassing, almost mesmerizing. They wore long light brown hoodies. Dressed up as monastery monks of the ancient century they chanted their prayers and praise. The bright fire burned brightly as the night sky settled in. Their little cots decorated the jungle that they resided in and called home.

"Brothers tonight we celebrate a grand event, an event so grand, that it will shake the very planet on which we stand!!" The little creature stood on top of a boulder encouraging the feast and spiritual gathering.

"This is a celebrated event, we haven't felt this overjoyed in over a century!!!"

"YYYYEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

The little voices collaboratively created a big hurrah that would resurrect a dead man of a 100 years to his lively youth.

" And now without further a due I present to you our head of the Nuukub clan and Emperor, Pilaf!!!"

The clan bursted into a huge applause as the Yoda looking man climbed atop the boulder with a golden scepter at hand, and a silver headband fitting for a powerful emperor.

"Brothers!" his voice carried over the applause, booming across the air, silencing everyone to their sweet delight.

"We have done it!!!"

"YYYYYYEEAAAHHH!!!!"

"PILAF, PILAF, PILAF!!!!"

With a motion of his hands he signaled them to simmer down.

"Our God is now FREE!!!!"

A huge applause broke out and rocked the jungle around them.

"Our fellow human ally has aided us in this endeavor, and has succeeded!"

"We will once again celebrate an era of freedom and peace, of unprejudice and equal oppurtunities, comradery and hope!"

"But with any good news, friends, there's always a bad news bears ; our Lord cannot fight or rule now to his full potential, for he is at near death. As we speak he lies in his sickbed paralyzed and deprived of vitality. Time has stolen what he cannot retrieve, but with our help we can restore his Highness, we can come together and search out the seven magical orbs, of which he is in dire need of. Our fellow human has already infiltrated the wretched military our Highness so detests , and as we speak is stealing the magic stones!!!"

An uproar ripped through the dark sky and serene atmosphere.

" It will take us a while to search this planet of our Lord's remedy but we will obtain it, and no matter what obstacle we may face, we will prevail!!!"

"**HAIL THE DEMON KING, HAIL THE DEMON KING, HAIL THE DEMON KING!!!!"**

" Yes, my friends, he has returned." Whispered Pilaf to himself as he held up his hands encouraging the applause, smiling with complete gratitude.

* * *

Meanwhile, about twenty kilometers south of the secret tribes' meeting, Gohan lied down on top of his roof staring at the stars. Nature was as beautiful as ever. An artwork that time can never dull or ruin. He was a little worried at the animals though. The neighboring creatures were frightened. There were a flock of birds flying south earlier even though it was quite humid over here. He felt an inexplicable uneasiness in the spirit of the animals. They were nervous ,scared. Scared of what? He wondered. What could get them so worked up? He thought.

Before the old man could complete his thought, he suddenly saw what seemed like a shooting star flying across the sky coming closer and closer to his position. He abruptly sat up and stared at the phenomenon. The star had a red aura surrounding it. It was falling faster and faster. The screaming sound of it could be heard miles away. Gohan felt a sudden tension grab his heart. The noise created an unfamiliar pounding in his chest.

The object then crash landed not too far from his position. He quickly jumped off the roof ran and towards the crash site. His breath was short, his mind was racing faster than his legs, his sweating was profuse his circulation was almost choking. He jumped over a couple mounds and rocks, ducked a couple trees , here and there, could it be? Could it ?

He then saw the bright fire burning in the distance, lighting up the dark forest, he felt the heat, to him it felt good it felt like, like… hope. He finally got closer to the site. He ran over and saw the huge crater and burning trees.

It created a huge bonfire in the night sky. He quickly slid down the crater, carefully dodging the burning trees and fire. Then he saw it. A space pod.

He looked at it further and could hear a sound coming through the pod. He looked at it further and listened closely. It sounded like pain and confusion. He then lightly tapped the pod, and it automatically opened up, releasing some sort of white gas, while making a hissing noise. He continued staring inside as the gas cleared up, He stared and stared in amazement as the sound became familiar to him, and then what he saw literally took his

breath away, his chest tightened causing him to collapse on the ground right in front of it. Gasping for air, he struggled to get up, as if the gravity suddenly overpowered him. He managed to get up and gaze at the source of the familiar sound and managed to smile as he looked upon this new and confounding discovery. This peculiar enigma that fell from the sky was to change his life ,and heaven was to tremble at this event, earth and sky were to collide with this supreme monumental event, with him caught in the middle.

But what he suddenly saw next didn't prepare him for what was about to happen.


	2. Sudden Death

**CHAPTER 2 **

"Goku, oh, Goku!"

Twelve years has passed since the crash of the space pod witnessed by Gohan.

"Goku!" the old man cupped his hands up to his mouth, "Where are you?" Twelve joyous years, of child rearing.

Funny though, he didn't think he'd enjoy it so much, but the little baby he called Goku was his new proud and joy, and was his purpose for living a couple more years on this wretched and cruel planet.

"Goku, where are you?!"

"Oh boy, where did that child go?"

Gohan rested his hand on his hips disappointed," That child is really a hassle sometimes."

* * *

" Almost got it, almost there… if I could just stretch… a little longer."

The young boy was straining. He was on his tippy toe, standing on a tree branch trying to catch a monarch butterfly on the higher branch.

"Come on, almost… got… it."

The boy started to smile, appreciating his earnest effort in trying to chase down the winged insect.

"Got It!" the boy leaped up to grab his prize, but slipped on the stressed branch he was standing.

"Whoa, Wh-!"

The boy started to go for the fall, but it was abruptly broken when he suddenly hung upside down on a descending branch… by his tail.

"Phew, that was close," sighed the kid," Oh man but the butterfly got away though."

"Ah well, maybe next time."

The kid swung himself up by his tail and landed back on the ground.

"Goku!!!"

The kid turned around to trace the source of the distant voice.

"Grandpa!" replied the child.

"Goku, where are you?!"

"Over here Grandpa!"

The child ran towards the old man.

"**ROOAAA!!!"**

"Whoa, a tiger, cool!"

"Ha,ha,ha hey Mr. Tiger, I can't play today my Grampa is calling me, nice of you to drop by though, heh, heh."

The kid quickly patted the tiger on its head and started to jog towards his Grandfather's direction.

"**RAAAA!!!!"**

The tiger quickly took up speed and ran after the child.

"Oh, so you wanna race, O.K. cool, heh, heh."

The predator hadn't eaten all day, and today he finally found his prey, to him this one wasn't going away this easy. It was a matter of life and death.

The child giggled and laughed as he dodged trees and vines, running away from the tiger.

"You've gotta be faster Mr. Tiger!"

"**RAAAA!!!!"**

The tiger quickly leaped and snapped his jaws shut.

"Miss me, heh, heh!!"

The child quickly approached a deep ravine.

"See if you can follow me on this one, Mr. Tiger."

With one leap the child jumped twenty feet into the air and landed across the other side of the ravine.

"You got that Mr. Tiger?"

The kid turned around to see the Tiger jumping over the ravine, but it suddenly started to fall mid air.

"Whoops!"

The child quickly went down on the ravine, and jumped off the side of the cliff, and caught the tiger by its underside. He quickly hung on to a nearby vine hanging off the opposite cliff wall.

"You still gotta practice more, heh, heh, heh." Chuckled the boy.

With one powerful throw of his left arm, he threw the tiger back onto safety, on the cliff.

"Well, Mr. Tiger maybe next time, heh, heh." With that he quickly hopped onto the opposite side and disappeared.

"Grandpa Gohan!"

"Goku!"

"I'm right here!"

The old man looked up to see the child jumping from branch to branch on the high trees.

"Goku!"

"Wheeeeeee."

The child somersaulted his way back down in front of his grandfather.

"Goku, what did I tell you about staying late?" said Gohan as he crossed his arms, disappointed.

"Sorry Grampa, I kinda forgot." Said Goku, scratching his head nervously.

"That's not what I asked."

"Never go out when the sun starts to descend upon the mountains." Replied the boy.

" That's right, and why?" asked the old man as he started to walk with the child.

"Because an evil creature comes out at the night from the forest."

"Exactly, I'm only saying these things for your own good Goku, do you understand?"

"Yeah Grampa, but I was chasing this huge butterfly," gestured the child," I thought I would've gotten it before the sun came down, or ,well at least before dark."

"Yes Goku, but the butterfly doesn't have to worry about the creature, it can fly, but you cannot."

"Someday I want to."

"Nothing's impossible once you put your mind to it, Goku, remember that."

" And also remember that-" The old man quickly spun around and threw a punch at the boy, only to be blocked by his little arms.

"-Remember that you should never expect the sun to rise tomorrow, always expect the unexpected."

"Yeah, and never forget that--" Goku lifted his arms up, pushing back Gohan's fist and quickly jumped into a headstand to launch his feet into the old man's chest.

Gohan dodged Goku's attack and grabbed him by his leg, twisting the boy by the leg he proceeded to throw him up in the air, but was stopped when the boy's tail wrapped around his wrist.

"-Never forget to make the best out of a bad situation!" Goku swung down on Gohan's wrist by his tail, going in for the punch to the jaw.

His fist hit Gohan's left hand, as it came to block the jaw punch. Gohan's tightened his hand on the boy's fist.

"Always ride the waves of turbulence.." Gohan pulled the boy towards him raising his knee to meet the boy's stomach. Goku quickly threw his feet down on Gohan's knee and used it to throw himself onto the old man's face.

"…To ride the waves of turbulence with style." Said the old man, as he bended backwards to dodge the boy's attempting kick to the face.

Gohan used his other hand to quickly grab Goku's legs above him. Now he had the boy semi trapped, one hand is clenching on his fist, while the other has his left leg.

"Good times, or bad—" Goku used his tail to slap Gohan on the face hard. Gohan lost contact with Goku's fist, causing the boy to swing down by his trapped leg to grab Gohan by the shirt. "—Always fight to live, so tomorrow you can laugh!" Goku tightened his grip on Gohan's waist and flipped him over his body.

" That's right, worry not for the next day—" Gohan proceeded to say, as he was being flipped over, but quickly landed on his feet, only to throw Goku by the leg, which he was still holding onto until now.

"Because today has its own anxieties!"

Goku flew over and hit a nearby tree hard.

Before he could regain his composure, a strong wind came towards him, then a loud booming sound rang right next to his ear. Gohan's fist missed him by several millimeters, digging itself into the tree's trunk right next to the boy's head.

Goku started to cartwheel his self to the left and quickly flipped upright, only to be knocked down by his grandfather's kick to the head.

"Goku do not recover, do not think." The old master went in for the punch, but it was quickly dodged by Goku.

Goku jumped down onto a headstand and started a windmill, which caught Gohan off guard.

The kicks made perfect contact, causing Gohan to stumble backwards. Goku quickly leapt up and charge towards his stomach.

The tackle was flawless, Gohan clasped his stomach and gasped out in pain.

Gohan stood up fast to defend against the next blow, but to no avail. The kid did a mid air kick to the face which broke through his defenses.

Gohan flew backwards and landed on his back.

'OK, very good, now it's time to take it to the next level.' Gohan thought, as his hands started to glow a familiar blue color.

As he opened his eyes he saw the moon starting to appear in the red orange evening sky.

He quickly got up alarmed.

"Goku, stop!!"

Goku screeched to a halting stop right before his grandfather.

'What is it?"

"We have to go, we have to leave now, the monster he's coming."

"But Grandpa, aren't we strong enough to take care of this monster." Said Goku disappointed.

"No, now come on." Gohan lowered himself to Goku, "hop on."

"OK"

With Goku on his back, Gohan gave way to one tremendous leap and jumped from branch to branch, disappearing into the jungle horizon.

* * *

Not too far from their position, a group of camouflaged men moved through the forest floor. The men were all crouching with weapons in hand and moving through slowly with hand signals, signaling their next movements.

"We're gonna get that old man, for what he did to the Silver squad years ago." Whispered one soldier to the other.

"Yeah, too bad HQ just found out about Silver's squad's situation."

"Twelve years, and we're finally gonna do some damage."

The soldiers stopped moving to await the next signal.

"Well, if it wasn't for our thick headed Commander, we would've been taken care of this old man and swiped that dragon ball at the same time."

" Yeah, well the Commander is willing to listen to anyone right now, ever since his dragon balls were stolen twelve years ago too." Said the soldier.

Hand signals from the other soldiers alerted the rest of the team behind to keep moving. The smoke from Gohan's house slowly started to come into sight.

* * *

"Goku, it's time to come to bed!"

The kid was washing up in a little outer room right behind the cottage.

"OK Grandpa!"

Goku dipped into the warm water one more time before coming out to scrub his face. The windows in the little room were locked shut, the only light that was there were the candle stands surrounding the shelves in the little room.

Gohan picked up the dirty dishes from the kitchen table. Taking care of the kid wasn't bad at all. He never regretted the day he took him from that crash site. He'll never forget how he felt. He knew that the star was here and at the same time that the darkness was ominous. Goku, that's what he called the alien baby, his name was special, it meant "the saber of light." Gohan believed that this child from the stars was the saber of light that was going to rid this world of its approaching apocalypse. Dark apocalypse.

"Goku! Tell me when you're finished!"

"I'm finished Grandpa!"

"OK wait right there, don't come out yet."

Gohan placed the dishes in a huge pot, and started to wipe his hands on his way out the cottage. He grabbed the boy's towel and clothes from the clothesline and cracked open the door to the little bathroom and threw in his clothes.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes Goku." Replied Gohan, as he leaned against the wall and started to peel an apple.

"Why can't I look up into the sky at night again?"

"Because the moon is dangerous Goku." Gohan started to munch on the slice of apple.

" How come?"

"Because the light it gives off can destroy our eyes." Answered Gohan.

"Then why were you staring at it two days ago?"

The old man suddenly stopped munching on the apple, and looked up startled.

"W-Well, b-because, because, b—anyway what were you doing up at that time?"

"I couldn't sleep, I had a bad dream."

The boy stepped out the bathroom, drying his spiky black hair. He lowered his head according to his Grandpa's instructions, when outside at night.

"Grandpa, you're hiding something from me right?"

Gohan looked down at the boy dejected. He was really happy the kid couldn't look up at him now, he wouldn't be able to explain teary eyes. Maybe he'd blame it on old age.

"Come on in Goku, it's getting cold."

The old man walked into the house with the boy, and threw away the rest of the half eaten apple out the door. The room was a small room. It had only one bed and a stove to the right corner. It was quite clean and quaint though. Enough to live off of.

"Come on, up to bed."

"Grandpa, what was your life as a kid like?"

"My life as a kid?"

"Yeah, if you could remember that is." Chuckled Goku.

"Of course I remember, I'm only about ninety years old."

" Let's see," Gohan thought " When I was a child I grew up in a village not too far from here, I used to live with my parents. They were farmers, you know people who planted fruits and vegetables and that sort, so anyway I grew up with them. We lived in good conditions. Well, it was OK, never too over exaggerated, you know, no big extravagant houses or cars."

"What's a car Grampa?"

"It's a moving machine that helps people travel."

"What's a machine?"

"Uh, we'll get to that," chuckled Gohan, "Anyway, we lived together, a very simple life. I was happy with them, and I played with the birds and dogs, cows, horses all the animals, it was fun."

"Why'd you leave?"

"Well, I didn't want to leave, um somebody came and…" Gohan looked down, obviousouly fighting back the horrid memory. "Somebody came in one day and killed my parents. They tried to raid our house and killed my parents in the process. I managed to run away."

"Why didn't you fight them Grampa?"

"Yes, to this day I regret for running out on my parents, when I witnessed their ordeal. So I vowed my life to learning self defense, to defend the weak."

"Do you miss them Grampa?"

"Yes, very much, and I learned to get stronger because of the pain that welled up inside of me due to their deaths. I was later taken in by an ancient master."

"What's his name?"

" Ah, he's long retired, he's no longer taking any students, but his name is Roshi, Master Roshi. He took me up and adopted me from the streets."

"Wow, Grampa I want to be strong so I can fight for the weak too."

"Oh, you will, trust me you will."

Gohan paused to pet the child's head.

"Oh, I have something to give you." He said as he reached for a drawer across the room and pulled out a dragon ball.

"This is for you."

"Wow, what is it?"

" It's a magical orb, a dragon ball, it was given to me by my father before he died, I want you to have it."

"Thanks Grampa, I'll keep it safe."

"That's good."

"OK get some sleep, tomorrow we start our exercise bright and early."

" Grampa, wait, what about me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where did I come from?"

Gohan looked at the child intently and cracked a smile, whilst pointing his finger upwards.

"You came from the stars." Said Gohan.

"What do you mean?"

"If you sleep now I'll tell you tomorrow."

"OK." Said Goku laughing, "I like you grampa, you're weird."

'Finally,' thought Gohan as he walked over to his cot.

"Grampa, one more question."

"Yes Goku." Said Gohan, clearly exhausted, but still managed to give off a warm smile.

"Would that Master Roshi guy know where I'm from?"

Gohan looked at the boy thoughtfully and replied with a confident "Yes."

"Now goodnight Goku."

"Goodnight Grampa." Goku flopped his upper body down on the bed.

Meanwhile, outside, the camouflaged soldiers started to circle the old man's perimeter. Taking their positions, getting ready to fire right on command.

Hand motions clearly told of the impending doom that was about to befall the old man and his grandson.

The air was crisp and quiet. The night sky and jungle surrounding them, hid them so well.

The full moon was their only enemy, for it exposed their dark silhouettes, but not too much, in fact it added to their frightening look. A suspenseful vibe could be felt throughout the platoon. Questions started to come up in their minds. Were they going to get this right? Was the dragon ball going to be obtained? Was this old man really going to be a problem as they thought.

"Ready…"

"1…" Whispered the Lt. to his headset.

"2…"

"3!"

"Go, go, go ,go." The hidden team rose up from the high grasses like dark tsunamis bringing pure pain to the unfortunate pair.

As the team quickly sped towards the house with laser weapons, grenades, machine guns and rocket launchers in hand, the door to the cottage suddenly flung wide open.

**WHOOSH!**

The soldiers suddenly stopped and kneeled down into their positions.

"Who just came out?"

"I don't know I don't see anyone coming out."

"Hey, Lt. it's just-just dark in there."Whispered one soldier to his headset.

"That is weird." Said another soldier.

"Why did the door just suddenly open?!"

"Do we still go?" asked another soldier.

"We were quiet, nobody could've heard us."

"Yeah, we're the special stealth team, it must've been the wind."

The wind softly blew around the confused group, it carried their disarray into the atmosphere, permeating through their pores and thoughts, causing them to feel a forbidden feeling: fear.

"What are you men doing press on!" exclaimed the Lt. from the headset, "Move you idiots, move!" he whispered loudly.

"I guess we just keep walking." Replied another soldier.

"**No you don't."** said a cold voice behind the soldier.

He quickly turned around to see an old man standing right behind him.

" You woke me up." Said Gohan as he grabbed the rifle in his hands tightly.

"I hate to be awakened like this." Gohan quickly sprung his hand towards the soldier's throat and disabled his vocal cords. With one hit from his hand he knocked the soldier out dislodging his Adam's apple.

"What the-" before another soldier could make out his friend's demise in the dark, Gohan had already snapped his neck.

The old man was quiet. He moved like the wind, just as natural. His awesome speed created the cool gusts of wind the platoon felt in their presence.

As the soldiers ran towards the door, they could be heard dropping to the grass one by one.

Gohan had already started his attack upon them, without them knowing. As the Lt. and his cadet ran up to the door, they quickly threw themselves to the floor and rolled up to the posts in front of the door.

"O.K. team, group A go hard center now!" commanded the Lt. to his headset.

"Group A, Group A!"

"Grou—"

"Lt. you better look at this." Said the cadet, fearfully pointing behind them.

The whole platoon lied incapacitated on the grass floor. All of them died as they were running up to the cottage. All of them dropped dead as if bugs going through a poison gas.

All of them gone, with one swoop.

" What in the world?"

"You boys should just leave."

The two men quickly turned back around to see Gohan standing at the doorway, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorpost.

" It was you, but how?" asked the angry Lt.

"I'll show you." Gohan slowly uncrossed his arms, his hands started to glow a soft blue color. The reflected blue light revealed the scared and shocked looks on the soldiers' faces.

" Lt. he-he-he's a monster."

Gohan's eyes emanated a blue color, his hair started to pick up with the sudden wind surrounding them. His veins started to spread across his forehead and fingers as he put his hands together and aimed directly at them. The wind picked up full power, causing his white shirt to flow like the river in spring. His hair whipped around his face wildly. The ground below him started to crack and give out under the created pressure.

" I told you guys to never come back up here." He bellowed.

" And trust me, after this we won't need to." Smiled the Lt. as he reached around and carefully pressed a button on his waistline.

**Beep, Beep**

All of a sudden a green beam shot from the trees behind them and hit Gohan square in the chest, as he suddenly crashed through the wall of his house and landed against his well, hard.

"Heh, heh,heh we're the Red Ribbon Army gramps, you honestly didn't think we'd make the same mistake twice, eh?" cackled the Lt. as he stood up with renewed confidence.

Slowly an eight foot robot emerged from behind the trees. It had a silver egg shaped body. The two metal legs resembled that of an ostrich. There were two huge cannons for arms and the Red ribbon emblem was engraved on front of it. In it a soldier controlled it from the interior.

"Ohhh" grunted Gohan, as he coughed up blood.

The Lt. walked through the hole in the house and walked towards Gohan's paralyzed body, on the other side.

"This, this is amazing, an old man was worth this trouble for the mightiest army in the world."

"Do you know what we use this robot for?" asked the Lt. as he crouched down towards Gohan's bloody face, " We eliminate whole cities with these."

"And that shot that was fired at you was just grade one, we could up it up if you want."

"Although I must say I'm surprised your still breathing after that." Said the Lt. as he polished his handgun.

" How could you do this to us?" asked the Lt. sarcastically, " We were solely created to put away a monster many years ago, and now you thank us by not giving us something as simple, as a ball, hmm?"

"You despicable fools, your enemy has returned, the Great Demon King, he's come back and you guys cannot stop him. You won't even be able to scratch him this time." Uttered Gohan.

"Is that a threat?" asked the soldier, pointing the gun towards Gohan's head.

" He's crazy Lt. don't believe him." Said the cadet.

"Shut up fool! Somebody with his abilities isn't somebody you take lightly!" The Lt. turned back around to look at the injured man.

"Oh, and if the Demon king were to come back, who can stop him, hmm?"

The Lt. pressed the gun to Gohan's forehead.

Then suddenly a familiar little voice spoke out behind them.

"Grandpa, what's all the noise?"

"**GOKU, NOOO!!"**

The Lt. turned around, "Wow, wow, wow, well what do we have here? " The tall Caucasian man stood up. His tight jaws framed his stone cold face. His grey eyes pierced through the darkness. He stared intently at Goku.

"Lt. Grey who's this kid?" asked the cadet.

"I don't know, but I have an idea." Smiled the Lt.

" Soldier grab the kid!"

The robot standing behind them quickly bend down and picked up Goku.

"Grandpa what's going on?" yelled Goku, as he was lifted off from the ground with one swoop.

"Goku, please noooo!!!!!"

"Grandpa you're bleeding!" screamed Goku, as he started to slowly mentally uncover the grave situation.

"Grandpa, what's going on, who are all these weird creatures?!"

"Goku, please run!" Gohan struggled, he began to stand on one knee, and supported himself on the old well to completely stand up.

"Grandpa, are these the evil creatures you're talking about that come out at night?!" asked Goku, as he struggled to get out the robot's grip.

As soon as the boy asked the question, Gohan looked up at the full moon. Fear pierced his heart like never before. "Oh no." he whispered.

"Goku **CLOSE YOUR EYES!!!"** Yelled Gohan.

"What?!" asked Goku, confused.

"**DON"T LOOK UP!!!"**

"What is he saying, now?" asked the Lt. as he looked up into the sky.

"Lt. I suggest we try to kill the boy now!" Yelled the cadet .

"OK Grampa, I'll close my eyes, but let me help you I'm not scared of monsters!" screamed Goku, as the robot's grip got tighter.

"Goku, my boy." Whispered Gohan, as he started to cry, he knew he had done a good job of raising the boy to be a truly brave warrior indeed.

"This is getting annoying!!" yelled the Lt.

He quickly turned towards Gohan and fired a shot at his arm.

"**AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!"** The blood curdling scream sent shivers down Goku's back.

"Grampa, I'm trying to break free, just wait." Goku was struggling violently to pull himself out of the robot's grip.

"Goku, No, stay put!" begged Gohan.

"That shot should've blown your arm off, you're truly not a regular person." Said the Lt. as he stared at the bullet wound in Gohan's arm.

" You can never destroy what I represent, not after what you've done to many people, not after what you've done to my PARENTS!" screamed Gohan.

The old man charged towards the Lt. with full force.

"Fool!"

The Lt. shot at the old man head on, only for the bullet to be dodged by Gohan at the last second, as he cocked his head to the left.

**BAM!**

Gohan slammed the Lt. onto a nearby tree.

"FIRE!!" screamed the nearby cadet.

"NOOO!!" yelled the injured Lt.

"If he wants to fight, let him come at me, mano a mano." Stated Lt. Grey, as he struggled to get up from the impact.

"So we've killed your parents, eh?" smiled the Lt. "Well, they probably deserved it, obviously they had a dragon ball, and I'm sure it's the same one you have in your possession now."

"It was my father's he gave it to me as a treasure, and I keep it, so I can always be reminded of the innocent who need to protected from the evil in this world."

"After your terrible ordeal years ago, you still won't give it up, eh… you really don't learn old man."

Gohan held on to his wounded arm, trying to keep his breathing as calm as possible.

"Maybe you'll learn after someone else dies from your stubborn INSOLENCE!!!"

The Lt. quickly gave a hand motion to the soldier in the robot holding Goku.

"Right boss." Replied the soldier.

"Goku**, NOOO!!!**" screamed Gohan.

The robot lifted his arms with Goku in his grip high up into the night sky.

"Let's see, maybe I'll squeeze him to death right here, so you can see him explode, caution old man there will be blood, heh, hehh."

The robot started to squeeze the child**. "AARRGGHHH!!! GRANDPA!!!!"**

"**GOKU!!!"** Gohan struggled to save Goku, but couldn't, he had lost too much blood after being shot by the hyper gun.

"**GOKUU!!!!"**

"**GRANDPA IT HURTS, AAARRGGHHH!!!!!"** the loud scream could be heard miles away, frightening even the cadet standing nearby.

"Just give us the dragon ball old man!" warned the Lt.

"**GOO**ooku!" Gohan fell to the ground and started to crawl towards the helpless boy. "Please stop this!"

" Well then how about you, please give us the DRAGON BALL!" yelled the Lt. laughing.

"You see the screaming of a tortured child is just the most beautiful sound ever, wait till you see him pop, it'll be more beautiful than the sunset on a beach!" Said the Lt., as he yelled over the kid's screaming.

"I know the only reason why this army was formed, was because of Piccolo, but I personally joined this military, well because… **I loved to kill."** Sneered the Lt.

"**AAARRRRGGHHHH!!!!! GRANDPA!!!!"** screamed Goku, with eyes still shut, he was still willing to listen to his grandfather, even at death's door.

"Heh, heh," laughed the soldier in the robot, as he was squeezing the life out of little Goku. " Does it hurt yet kid?"

Then all of sudden the soldier realized a peculiar object as he was squeezing the child.

"What in the world is that?"

Goku's swinging tail was flailing back and forth violently through the robot's fingers.

"A tail?" he whispered to himself.

"Heh, nothing is impossible in this life, if it is his tail, I'll try pulling it… this defected freak will know what it means to mess with the Red Ribbon Army."

The robot then started to loosen his grip, and went for Goku's tail, pulling it hard.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"**

With one sudden motion Goku threw his head up and opened his eyes in sheer pain.

"**GOKKKUUU!!!"** screamed Gohan, it was too late, he prepared himself for the terror, for the monstrosity, for the…beast.

Goku just stared into the bright moon in the sky, completely frozen, void of any feelings. Eyes wide open.

"Huh, kid does it hurt now?" asked the soldier in the robot, as he kept pulling on the tail. "Why aren't you screaming, huh kid?"

Goku started to sweat profusely, his body started to vibrate in the robot's arm. His hands and arms proceeded to tense up, his hair stood on end. Steam started to come out his pores.

"What the—what's going on?" asked the Lt. slowly uncrossing his arms.

"**GRRRRRRRR."**The kid started to growl in the robot's arm.

" Uh, Lt. the robot is losing control, the circuits are malfunctioning and exploding!" screamed the soldier form inside the robot.

Sparks and electricity started to spurt out of the robot, as it started to bend down and lose its strength and grip on Goku.

"Shoot the kid !!!"

"Yes, Sir!" answered the nearby cadet.

He quickly emptied all his rounds into the freakish child, desperately.

**BAMAMAMAABMAMBAMAMAMAM!!!!**

"How you like that kid?" Sneered the cadet.

As the smoke cleared, it was obvious their problem only grew bigger.

"**AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"**

The loud screech ripped through the soldiers' ears.

"Aaaahh, I think he ruptured my eardrums!!!" screamed the cadet, as he crouched on the floor helplessly.

'Darn him, what the heck is he?' thought the Lt. as he squeezed his hands into his ears,' he couldn't have been one of Piccolo's leftover children, can he?'

"**RRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

The roaring sound pierced through the night sky, as it scared all the other surrounding animals into pure pandemonium.

Goku was on all fours, his breathing was deeper, his arms were much hairier, his whole body was covered in thick fur. His eyes were pure blood red, no pupils. Fangs started to protrude out of his mouth, as he started to grow a long snout. His little hands grew wider and hard, his nails turned black, death's color. His tail grew thicker and longer, his control was being lost into the monster he was transforming into. The monster that only came out at night.

" Go..ku…" Gohan was lying on the ground watching helplessly as his grandson was turning into his worst nightmare.

"He's turning into some kind of a giant demonic gorilla!" screamed the cadet, as he scrambled up to run away.

Goku's tail quickly whipped out and wrapped around the frightened cadet. As he reeled him, the monster grew bigger and bigger, up to 50 feet in height. 1 ton of pure muscle and horror. The long snouted monster drew in the scared soldier.

"P-p-p-pll—lea—**HELP ME !!!!! LT. GREY!!!!!!!"**

The monster just stared at the pitiful being, breathing heavy onto his face, causing him to sweat profusely. The huge white teeth paired with the red gleaming eyes caused a chill to run down the poor soul's spine.

"**!!!!!!!!!!!"**

With one hard thud the monster lifted the man up and smashed him into a bloody pulp, right into the ground.

The man's blood decorated the monster's umber fur, infuriating it even worse.

"**SHOOT IT!!!"** screamed the Lt. to the injured soldier in the damaged robot.

"I can't the robot's not responding!!"

"Make it respond!!!!!" yelled the Lt.

Barely finishing his command, the monster ran over and grabbed the robot, and proceeded to lift it up and squeeze the lone soldier trapped inside.

"**AAAAHHHH, LT. GREY IT HURTS!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!! I CAN'T GET OUT!!!! THE EJECT BUTTON IT ISN'T RESPONDING!!!"**

The gorilla like creature screamed his fearsome war cry towards the moon, as he squeezed the soldier into nonexistence.

" **LT. GREY P-PLEA--- LT. GR------**Y-yy."

Like a squeezed lemon, the man's blood spurted out of the crushed metal heap that was like soft clay in the monster's hand.

Confusion, fright, horror, yelling, thumping, heart stopping, feelings of the overpowered weakling. Feelings that were virgin to the once proud Lt. Grey. His cold demeanor quickly melted as he felt the undeniable heat of anger that surrounded him, threatening to end his life.

" **YOU LISTEN KID!"** screamed the Lt. **"YOU DON'T SCARE ME,NOT ONE BIT, IN FACT ONE MORE STEP AND YOUR GRANDPA DIES!!!"**

The Lt. quickly pulled out his hyper gun and pointed it towards Gohan's head.

The giant ape like beast stopped dead in his tracks.

"Y-yeah Tarzan, you're scared now, eh?" sneered the Lt.

"**!!!!!!!!!"**

The beast roared at the shaken Lt.

Slowly a beam started to form around the creature's mouth and with a blink of an eye, a white blast fired out of its mouth, making its way right into Grey's chest.

"**AAAAHHHHH!!!** Curse you, you stupid-- monkey!!" spurted the Lt. as blood started to gurgle out of his mouth and chest like a fountain.

"**RRRRRRRRR."**

The creature started to walk towards the injured man, like a hungry gorilla staring into his eyes.

"What are you going to do, huh? Throw me, eat me, HUH?!"

"**RRRRRRRRRRRR."**

The monster slowly crept towards the Lt.

Soon they were face to face.

"Oh great, the last thing I see before I die is this, I'd rather see a nuke coming towards me head on, with my name on it, now get your ugly mug out of my face—" said the Lt. as he spat on the creature's face.

"**RRRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"**

The monster picked up the two nearby boulders. Raising them he lowered it and smashed them into the Lt.'s temple, ending his poor pathetic life.

"**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

"G..." Gohan tried to crawl away from the beast. For now his safety was his primary concern.

"I-if only I can just make it into the cave…that's almost there." Gohan used his last bit of strength to crawl towards the nearby cave covered by thick foliage for refuge.

"A-almost…"

The beast grabbed Gohan's leg.

"G.." stammered the old man, as he turned around to face his transformed grandson.

" Do you remember me Goku, Goku,Goku!"

"**RRRRRRRRRRRRRR."** The low growl echoed into the old man's head.

"**RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"**

"Remember Goku you will and are the bright star that will illuminate this world and clear it of its cancerous darkness, I am proud of you."

"**!!!!"**

The monster quickly lowered his head and stared into the old man's tearful loving eyes.

The monster stared back, agitated and confused, almost as if something was holding him back from proceeding with his attack.

The monster slowly raised his hands above his head, while he held Gohan by his leg. He stared into the old man's eyes, and the old man stared back.

Both stood as if frozen in time, two statues sculptured together as if to capture the evil and suffering of men.

Gohan looked at it and remembered it. The beast, the same beast he saw twelve years ago, on the night of the full moon. When he saw it then he didn't know what to do until he subdued it, but beneath this monster was a hero, the prophesies star, his grandson.

"**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

The beast suddenly lowered his large clawed hands towards the old man's head.

"I will always remember you Goku, thank you… for shining my world." Uttered the old man's last words, as his blood splattered onto his grandson's brown fur.


	3. Acquaintence

**CHAPTER 3**

**MEANWHILE AT RED RIBBON HQ….**

" Lt. Grey, Lt. Grey, , Lt. Grey!"

" Sir, the Lt. isn't responding, in fact none of his team are responding." Said the flustered soldier to his superior.

"This is not possible!" screamed Commander Red.

"We've even sent the Devastation Robot over there, and still no results! This is not happening to me, not here, not now! First my three dragon balls then this fiasco!"

"Commander, sir, I say we send Major Fullmetal, he'll surely settle this mess." Said the Vice Commander, Black.

"Listen to me Black, we are not going to send anymore soldiers there, I really don't know how difficult it is to obtain one dragon ball from an old man! Maybe somebody here is against me!"

"Sir, please it may not have been one of our soldiers that stole your orbs twelve years ago."

"**Shut up Black!** What I say is always right, and I say there's a mole somewhere around here!"

The Commander coldly stared at the ten men surrounding him in the control room of the HQ.

"Someone." He let out a breath of smoke from his cigar.

"Black, send the Fullmetal, and advise General White of our plans, we're going to take this nuisance down once and for all."

"Excellent Sir."

The next day the sun started to shine and illuminate the lush green mountains of Mt. Paozu. The singing of birds could be heard, adding to the beauty of the countryside, giving the landscape its soothing theme. The deers could be seen drinking from the crystal springs, as the fish swam abundantly in schools swarming the fresh rivers that refreshed the untouched land.

A couple miles away the sound of an engine could be heard coming up the mountainside.

Getting closer to the lone cottage atop the hill.

"Let's see the dragon ball should be around here somewhere , according to this radar."

The dark blue haired girl, stared down at the radar, as she tried to drive up the rocky hill.

"Geez, I hate this road, but considering I'm only 16 and managing my way up here is quite commendable." She said as she smiled. She quickly popped open the glove compartment.

"This should be in the mountains, wow I'm pretty far away from home. Let's see, ah there it is Mt. Paouzu, that's where I am right now I guess."

The girl continued to drive the old jeep up the mountainside, as she periodically checked her beeping radar.

"I've heard of scary stories up in these mountains, monsters, demons, ghosts, Uh..forget about it Bulma, not now you're not gonna let stupid legends freak you out, not on this, not for this wish." Said the girl to herself as she stared down the road in a focused gaze.

"Uuuuuuhhh." Groaned Goku, as his sight started to come back.

"Why does my head hurt?" He said, as he started to rub the top of his cranium vigorously.

The boy slowly stood up to find himself naked and covered in blood.

"Whoa! What happened! Why am I covered in blood, and where are my pajamas?"

"Grampa!"

"Grampa!"

"GRAMPA!"

The boy was running around looking for his missing grandfather.

"Where did he go?"

"Hm, maybe he went fishing, but he never goes without me, oh well I'll just wait till he comes back, but first I gotta see if I'm hurt or something, because I'm bleeding all over."

The boy walked off into the nearby bath house behind the cottage. He quickly noticed the massive damage that succumbed the poor cottage.

"WHOA! What's with the hole in the wall?" exclaimed Goku.

"Aw, geez this is crazy, I don't remember that being there, maybe Grampa was training without me or something, this is really weird."

"Hm, oh well, gotta get cleaned up first." Said Goku as he walked over to the small bath house.

"O.K. a couple more feet, and I'll be there, dragon ball here I come!" squealed Bulma.

She could barely contain her excitement. Bulma Briefs was the daughter of the technological guru and owner of Capsule Corp. Dr. Briefs. She was in her summer vacation, and what best way to spend it by going out and looking for a magical legendary orb, She thought. Remembering the first time she saw it, she found out about the dragon ball when one was found in her cellar, ever since then she's done some research on the object, and found out about its true power. It's awesome and powerful wish granting ability.

"Let's see here, I'm almost there, and… oh, is that a, a house?"

"That's weird, a house on top of a hill like this," said Bulma, as she pulled out her binoculars, " Funny place for someone to move in, middle of nowhere and all."

"Hopefully the dragon ball isn't under that person's possession there, that would be total torture." Grimaced Bulma.

Bulma continued to drive up the hill getting closer and closer to the small cottage.

"Hmhmhm." Hummed Goku as he dipped down into the water basin.

"I can't wait to go to Grampa and start our exercise, but it's just real funny that he isn't back yet, if he went fishing." Said Goku thoughtfully.

"What happened last night? I wonder why I was covered in blood, did I fall or something? O.K. time to get out, don't want to get all pruney and everything."

Goku hopped out the basin and grabbed the nearby towel, as he walked out the bath house to change his clothes.

As he walked inside the cottage he saw the rubble spattered all over the wooden floor. The cot overturned and more blood stains on the wall.

"This is crazy, it looks like a storm ripped through here."

As Goku was drying his hair a strange sound emitted from the nearby half broken drawer.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE

"What's that sound?"

The boy quickly slid in his pants and shirt and ran over to the golden light coming out from the drawer.

"Where is that sound coming-"

Goku stopped as soon as he picked up the shining dragon ball.

"Whoa, it's lighting up, and the stars inside are moving around, Grampa wasn't kidding when he said this was special."

"Grampa! Grampa! Grampa!" Goku ran out the cottage calling for his Grandfather.

"The ball it's lighting up! It's shining!"

"I guess I'll look for him then, Gra-Oh, well hi little guy."

The boy was stopped short when he saw a cute little furry creature staring back at him, eating a fallen fruit from a nearby tree.

"What's your name? Did you see my Grampa around?"

The big eared blue creature just stared at the boy and kept on eating.

"Wow you have a long tail for a small body, your white stripes are nice too."

The marsupial looking creature just kept on eating and started to hop away to a nearby tree. Disappearing from the boy's sight.

"Hm, he probably didn't see what happened last night."

Goku was suddenly alerted when he heard the sound of an engine coming nearby.

" Huh, what's that?"

He quickly ran inside the broken cottage.

What could it be? The boy had never heard anything like it before. Monster, storm, he had no idea what was about to come, or what was going to happen.

"Come on you stupid car, goodness, I gotta shift it to like, third gear now."

Bulma revved the engine as the car struggled to climb up the hill.

Meanwhile Goku quickly grabbed a staff nearby, ready in battle formation.

"Almost there… there we go." Bulma pressed down hard on the gas as soon as she came up the hill, "Finally!"

"Stop right there monster!" screamed Goku, as he jumped out right in front of the speeding jeep.

"WWWOOOAAAAHHHH!"

Bulma slammed the brakes screaming, struggling to turn the car away from the poor kid, but to no avail.

BAM!

The car made sudden and hard contact on Goku's chest, as it sent him flying ten feet in the air.

"OH GOD I THINK I JUST KILLED A MONKEY!" Screamed Bulma.

Goku quickly got up and ran towards the jeep.

"AAAAHHH WHAT THE—"

The boy quickly went under the jeep and started to lift it up, tilting the poor girl inside.

"Get away you evil demon, you're the one who probably caused all this trouble yesterday!" screamed Goku.

"WWOOOOAAAHHH!"

Goku lifted his arms up and threw the jeep about two feet across the ground.

Bulma quickly shot out the window, after the car landed, pointing a gun straight out at the boy.

"Go away!" she screamed as she shot out from the handgun, looking away from her target.

BAM BAM

The bullets hit Goku, making contact directly on his head.

The boy fell flat on his back.

"Oh God, I'm so glad that's over with." Sighed Bulma.

"I guess the legends are true, there are monsters that live up here, this place is probably haunted too, must be an Indian burial ground."

Bulma hopped out the fallen jeep.

" Probably that little monster tore up this small cottage." Said Bulma as she gazed at the broken home,"Ah well probably saved some old man's life by killing this little beast."

Bulma walked over to the decimated cottage and started to inspect inside the home.

"What is that sound?"

Her eyes quickly met with the shining light that protruded from the nearby dresser.

"What's that?" 

She felt her heart thump through her chest, could it be?

She walked over slowly towards the dresser; suddenly her radar started beeping wildly.

"Yes, Yes Yes!"

She quickly ran over to the drawer and flung it open, and to her delight there it was a dragon ball. Her second dragon ball.

"Yes! I've got it and look it's shining so beautifully."

She quickly withdrew her other dragon ball.

"Both of them are shining like crazy, hmm, one is apparently reacting towards the other's presence. This is so cool, but useless unless all seven are together."

"Drop it." Said a voice behind her.

"WHOOOAA KID! You're like alive!" screamed Bulma, as she realized the boy with the staff glaring back at her, still bleeding from the previous shots.

"That hurt, you witch, I'll send you back to where you came from!" screamed Goku.

"K-k-kid, how are you still alive?"

"Easy, you're black magic doesn't work on me!"

"Black magic? You must be like a ghost or something, right?"

"No, but I know you're a witch lady that deserves to be punished, you probably took my grandfather too, where is he?"

"Kid, witch? Grandfather? Magic? What are you talking about?" asked Bulma.

"Listen, I'm not asking again, where's my gr-"

Goku then realized Bulma holding the dragon ball in her grasp.

"Give that BACK TO ME!" he yelled, as he swung his staff at her.

She quickly backed up to dodge the swing. Goku then went in and suddenly started to charge towards her.

"Kid wait! Relax, I'm no witch I'm just a normal girl on a vacation!"

"Uh… girl?" The boy suddenly stopped his charge.

"You're a girl?" asked Goku confused.

"Wh- WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?" screamed Bulma, apparently frustrated.

"Well, I don't know I've never seen another girl before." Said Goku.

"Y-y-you've never?"

"Nope, but my Grampa told me to treat one very kindly when I see one." Replied Goku as he started to move slowly towards her.

"Well you're grandfather's a gentleman then."

Goku lightly tapped his staff on her legs and back.

"What are you doing? Is this some sort of ritual or something?"

"You seem to be softer and bumpier than me."

"Of course kid, I _**am**_ a girl! You mean you had to check that?"

"Well, it is my first time seeing one, other than you being soft and bumpy I really don't see the difference between you and me."

"Are you for real?"

" Yup, now can you give my Grandfather's ball back?"

"Oh, you mean the dragon ball?"

"How do you know its name!"

"Kid, not a lot of people know about it, me, you and maybe your Grandfather are the only ones to know of it, you see if you gather all seven together then you get to make any wish you want, anything!"

"Anything?" asked Goku as he stared down mesmerizingly into the ball.

"Yup, only one wish though, so you've gotta think carefully."

"Wow, is that why it's shining?" asked Goku.

"It's just reacting to the other one I have here."

"WHOA! There's another one?"

"Kid, didn't you hear a word I said? There's _**seven**_ in all, there spread all over the world."

"Well, will this help me find my Grampa?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"I woke up this morning and my Grandfather disappeared."

"Awww, well I'm sorry, but I'll keep you and your gramps in my prayers though." Said Bulma as she stuffed the two balls in her backpack.

"Hey wait a minute give me my Grampa's ball back!"

"What the—kid, I—wait, what if you come along with me, we'll look for your grandfather together."

"What do you mean?"

Bulma pulled out the four star dragon ball out of her backpack.

"You get to hold on to your grandfather's ball, if you help me find the rest of the dragon balls, besides you can look for your grandfather along the way."

"Look for him?"

"Yeah kid, he might be in some sort of danger, or he could've been kidnapped or something."

"My grampa would never get kidnap, he's strong! He train to be like steel!"

"Come on kid, it'll be like an adventure, I'm sure your Grandfather wouldn't mind, I mean it'll be like excellent training for you, to go out into the real world and stuff."

"Well, I think I know of one person that might know what happened to my Grandfather, his name is Master Roshi. He used to train my Grandfather, my Grampa says he knows everything."

"You see, now you're thinking." Exclaimed Bulma gleefully.

"Yeah, and he might know where I came from!" smiled Goku.

"What do you mean, kid, don't you know the birds and bees?"

"Yeah, I hate bees though, they're always grumpy and like to sting you."

"Uh..u.u..hh, nevermind." Said Bulma, she was shocked at how much the boy didn't know. How much he needed to know.

'He's apparently naïve and gullible, and I could use his strength to my advantage, besides I was getting into dangerous territory so I'm in dire need of a bodyguard.' Bulma thought.

"So what do you say kid, it's a go?"

"Yup! Yup! Yup! Yup! Let's find Grandpa!" jumped Goku.

"OK calm down ki-"

Bulma suddenly noticed a tail swinging wildly behind the kid as he jumped up and down.

"Whoa, what's with the tail on your back?"

"Oh, that's my tail!" smiled Goku.

"Your what?"

"My tail, everybody has one."

"Uh—kid." Stammered Bulma.

"Come to think of it, I don't see yours, what did you do to it?" asked Goku.

The boy ran over to the girl searching frantically for the missing part.

"Stop it kid! I don't have a freakin' tail on my butt!"

"Oh, well that's OK Grampa didn't have one either, but then again he was strange, ha,ha,ha." Laughed the boy.

'How stupid does he think I am, I know it must be part of his jungle wardrobe.' Thought Bulma as she stared down at the swinging tail.

"Well kid here's your Grampa's ball." Said Bulma as she threw over the orb to the elated child.

"Thanks, uh- what's your name?" asked Goku as he fastened the dragon ball to his little sack.

"Name is Bulma Briefs."

"B-bu-lma, that's sounds kinda funny." Laughed Goku.

"Well what's your name?"

"Goku, G-o-k-u!"

"And that's normal?" grimaced the girl.

"At least it sound cooler than Bulma." Laughed the boy as he started to walk towards the rundown house.

"Kid, if you weren't living out here you'd tremble at the mention of my name!"

"Tremble? I only do that when there's an earthquake."

"Smart mouth, huh?" yelled Bulma as she searched in her backpack for the dino capsule.

"Wait for me Bulma, I'm gonna grab something real quick!" said Goku as he rummaged through the mountainous debris.

"What are you looking for, I'm ready to go!"

"My Grampa's staff!"

"His what?"

"His power pole!"

"Just ignore the Tarzan Bulma, just ignore him." Whispered Bulma.

"Found it! I got the power pole!" Goku ran over to Bulma's side as she took out the dinocap.

"Stand back kid, or you'll get hurt!"

"What do you mean Bulma?"

Bulma lunged her arm out and threw the capsule against the floor, with one large explosion Goku and Bulma flew back about three feet, hitting the trees behind them.

"See what I mean." Said Bulma as she rubbed her head.

"You are a witch! You tried to kill me with your explosive magic arts!" screamed Goku as he extended his power pole towards Bulma.

"Calm down kid, just look over where the explosion was." Pointed Bulma.

Goku looked over the explosion site, only to see a shiny Capsule Corp. motorcycle standing there.

"What kind of a creature is that?"

"It's not a creature Goku! It's a motorcycle!"

"I've never heard of a motorcycle, is it related to the tiger?"

"Never mind, let's just go." Said Bulma, she obviously gave up on giving him the rundown

on modern technology.

"Just get on." Said Bulma.

"But Bulma, the dragon balls are all over the world, all seven, how can we find them?"

"Kid, I'm not all looks you know." Said Bulma as she pulled out her Dragon Radar.

"You see this contraption, and my very own creation is called the Dragon Radar. It picks up the electromagnetic waves emitted by the dragon balls. So for example see," she pressed the button on top of the circular device, " As you can see we have two dragon balls here with us, according to the signal and beeping sound provided by the radar, so if I just keep pressing this button on top, then another should show up on the radar. It also tells us the distance of the next dragon ball, pretty smart eh?"

"That's really cool Bulma!"

"I know kid now hop on, I don't have all day."

"OK!"

With one leap Goku jumped onto the motorcycle.

"Wrap your hands around my waist, and no funny stuff, got it!"

"What do you mean?" asked Goku, confused.

"Don't play with me Goku, I know all the dirty tricks in the book, now let's go!"

!

With one rev of the engine the motorcycle sped off the green hill of Mt. Paozu.

"I can't wait to gather all the dragon balls!" yelled Bulma over the motorcycle engine.

"I can't wait to find my Grampa!" yelled Goku, "Bulma this thing goes faster than I can run!"

"Of course you retart, it's a machine!"

"Machine? Grampa told me about those, so you're from a city?" asked Goku, as he tried to raise his voice over the wind and engine.

"West City to be exact! About time you found out genius!"

"That's crazy, a girl riding a machine from a city, Grampa's right there are a lot of things out there!"

"That's right kid, and you haven't seen anything yet!" smiled Bulma.

From a distance a little blue creature stared at the duo as they drove by, little did Goku know it was the same furry critter that met him near his house earlier. The little animal kept eating its fruit while looking at them, his eyes then started to gleam a shiny red orange, with that he suddenly started to hop away quickly into the dense green forest, cackling to itself.

Back in the Red Ribbon Army HQ tensions were high as the Commander grew more and more impatient at the incompetence of his military. His years of painful waiting to get his wish is somehow starting to look dim. His anger blazed every time one of his soldiers walked past him, somebody here wasn't doing the job and that's why he couldn't rely on mere humans anymore. Their imperfection was too great of a hindrance to work with, too great of a price to pay; no mistakes , no fear, no equal that was his motto. And to this saying he will live and die for.

"Where is the Major!" he screamed as he hovered through the busy workers with his proud hovercraft and assistant to his side.

"Well Commander Red, Sir, Dr. Gero the lead scientist of the Technology Program is finished with the Major, but just needs it to be charged for full operation." Said Officer Black, as he tried to calm his superior down.

"Dr. Gero?"

"Yes Sir, he is the scientist that use to work for Capsule Corp. but was soon fired after he tried to forcefully propose some sort of an idea to the owner of the Capsule Corp. Dr. Briefs."

"Briefs, eh, funny name."

The pair strutted among the fearful soldiers and workmen along the way, striking fear into the hearts every time their presence was seen or heard. The Commander and Vice Commander was something not usually seen walking around the HQ.

"Over here Sir, in this elevator." Pointed Black.

The two went in the glass elevator.

"You see Black," said the Commander as he settled his hovercraft in the elevator, " I am a man of my word."

"Yes you are Sir." Responded Black, as he pushed the button for the elevator to descend.

"Even with my one good eye I can stills see treachery and incompetence when I see it!" said the Commander as he pointed to his right eye. He had a black patch covering his left eye, a war scar from the fight with the Demon King, Piccolo.

"And this military is not living up to my standards Black! What I say goes, nothing more! You understand?"

"Yes, Sir, of course."

"Then why is this not so Black?" asked the Commander sternly.

"Sir, rest assured that the Full Metal will not fail us." Responded the Officer.

"Is that so Black?"

"I have the utmost confidence in its abilities, tests from General White's base in Snow Mountain revealed its outstanding capabilities, second to none. Being imported from his freezing base to here, the Full Metal needed to be recharged to full power, but when he does Sir, we will finally get our wish."

The glass elevator stopped and the door opened behind them.

Only ten scientists were present within the basement, hustling and walking about the rather wide laboratory.

"The top secret base, the very confines of the Red Ribbon Army."said Black as he walked with the Commander.

"Where is Gero?"

"He had to come separate Sir, he had some important business he had to handle back at the White base." Said Black.

"Whatever, show me the Major." Said the Commander.

"Right this way Sirs." Responded one of the nearby scientists.

The three walked up a small flight of stairs and turn left on a small corridor, then walked down again. They walked up once more and made two lefts and down along a long hallway. Then they came before a tall steel door.

"I just need to punch in the code."

The scientist punched the numerical code to the room behind the steel doors. Then he pressed his finger down the pad for identification.

As soon as the door opened a white gas hissed out between the doors, as the gas started to dissipate their vision became clearer, and here it was behind a glass case in all its glory Major Full Metallitron.

"Ah yes." Whispered the Commander as his eyes lighted up.

"Look at that, he smokes just like me too! Gero **is** a genius!"

"And now the dragon balls will be mine, you hear that Full

Metal!" screamed the Commander, **"** _**YOU**_** WILL OBTAIN THE DRAGON BALLS!"**

"Um Commander, Sir, " stammered the scientist, " there is just one problem."

"What do you mean problem?" Growled the Commander, he turned around to glare at the nervous doctor.

"W-Well, i-it's about the robot."


	4. Division

**CHAPTER 4**

"This seems like a good spot to stop in." said Bulma as she quickly scoured the jungle landscape.

The duo soon were approaching a wooden gate in the middle of the dirt road. The gate was about seven feet tall, and built with thick oak like trunks, tightly interwoven with the toughest leather.

"Well kid, looks we'll be making our first village stop together," said Bulma over the engine, "Just leave the talking to me kid!"

"Ooh look Bulma a gate!"

"That's what I said!"

"Maybe we'll meet other interesting girl humans!"

"I bet you can't wait for those, eh?"

"I still can't tell the difference though, you're gonna need to help me out on that!"

"Whatever, hopefully they can give us some good tips on how to get around this crazy jungle!"

Bulma stopped the bike as soon as it reached the front of the wooden gate. She hopped of the seat as she adjusted her black tool belt.

"Hmm, let' see." She looked around at the gate for a while, and started to knock on the hard wood. To her dismay there was no answer.

"Hmm, I'll try honking the horn." Bulma went over to the bike to beep the horn at the village gate.

BEEP BEEP

"Whoa! Bulma that machine animal just talked! What was it saying!"

"That's a honk you idiot, it's suppose to frighten animals, but I guess you're no exception."

"Ooh Bulma, I love animals!" Squealed Goku, as he let out a light laughter and smile.

"That's nice, now why isn't anyone answering," Bulma angrily pressed the honk a couple more times. "Come on!"

No sooner did she say that a little slot opened up revealing two yellow eyes.

"Who goes there?"

"Hello there kind sir, me and my companion have traveled from a far distance and well, have come here to gather supplies for our long awaited journey."

"Hmmm, OK." The little slot quickly closed.

"Are you familiar with this village Goku?"

"Nope, I've never went out this far."

"Hmm, how does a wild animal like you never get out this far? You should know this like your own backyard."

The wooden gates slowly opened revealing a frail bearded man with a cowboy hat. He had a straw in his mouth and a rifle in his right hand.

"Before ye go in here, ye gonna have to get checked."

"Of course." Bulma pressed the button on her tool belt. The motorcycle suddenly started to collapse into a tiny capsule, and flew over into her hands.

"W-Whoa Bulma, I love it when that happens!" Screamed Goku.

"Don't mind him, Mother says he gets quite delusional around this time of day. Too bad his medication ran out, poor Tommy, but lucky me I've found this village to purchase the necessities for my sickly brother." Bulma and the man looked over at Goku as he was running around in circles with his red staff held up high.

"I love it when that happens! Do it again Bulma!"

"As you can see." Said Bulma pitifully as she turned back around to the man.

"Hmmm, lemme see your backpack."

"Sure." She said as she handed it over to him.

The man rustled around the girl's backpack as he pointed the rifle at her. Bulma stood still, clearly annoyed at the security check.

"Hmmm, what's this?" Said the man as he held out one of the dragon balls.

"It's my Father's, he gave them to me as a child, can you please not tinker with that."

"Sure toots." Smiled the toothless man as he deposited the dragon ball back in the backpack.

"OK, you're good to go, my little friend Gibba here is gonna escort you to the pharmacy for yer brother."

A tall fat man came out from the little cot that was by the city gate. He was dressed in blue overalls and had no shirt underneath. His face was a mess. He had a left lazy eye and a slurred speech. Last night's dinner was clearly apparent from the stain on his clothes and face.

"Follow me." He grunted.

Bulma grimaced as she picked up her backpack and started to follow the burly man.

"Come on Goku, we're goin in!"

"Yay! Thank you! Sir!" Goku ran past the man and caught up to Bulma quickly.

"Bulma are you gonna buy more of those magic cubes?"

"I'm sure you mean capsules," said Bulma annoyingly," I'm not sure this hick town's got one." She whispered.

The two followed the fat man down a grassy path and climbed up a dirt cliff. It seemed like some sort of a mountain path. As they continued walking, they went past gigantic daisies as tall as three story buildings. The grassy field were shoulder high. As they continued along they climbed up a rocky path covered by vines and thick tall trees and slowly up into a mountain. As they went in deeper it turned into some sort of a dark cave. Bulma quickly noticed the different tribal poles that stood erect on opposite sides. The poles were decorated with skulls of animals and creatures she wasn't sure that existed. There were carvings of human skulls on the cavern walls and poles.

'Good', she thought, 'As long as there isn't a real human skull in sight.'

"The village is in here." Pointed the fat man to the dark doorway.

"This looks like an underground mine." Stated Bulma.

Green fireflies flew around the cave, it only aided in brightening it up a little, but thanks to the sunlight that shined through the cave's ceiling, they were able to move around with no hesitation.

Bulma heard the slight chattering of townsfolk in the village, she and Goku walked in behind the fat man and into the town. As they walked down the dark tunnel, it slowly became illuminated as they walked into the bustling little village. The trio walked into the village of Gorpa, the oasis of the dense jungle like forest.

"O.K. now get what you need and get out." Grunted the fat man.

"OK, OK don't have to be so mean about it, geez." Said Bulma.

"If you're looking for medicine like you said, the local pharmacy is over here, follow me."

As Bulma and Goku followed the man, everybody in the town stared coldly at the duo as they were walking up to the pharmacy. Bulma wondered what everyone was so uptight about. Their glares pierced through them causing Bulma to feel uncomfortable.

They soon reached the pharmacy and walked up to the counter.

Behind the small counter was the same bearded man from the front gate.

"Whoa, wait a minute you're the same guy from before!" Exclaimed Bulma.

"WOW! How'd you do that?" Asked Goku.

"Well I can't be trustin vermins in my town, plus I's own this here pharmacy." Snarled the bearded man.

"Uh well, um do you have any capsules I could buy?" Asked Bulma.

"Sure, what kind of capsules?" The strange man removed bottles full of pills from the shelves and placed them on the counter in front of them. "I's got many capsules."

"Uh, well I meant dino caps. You know Capsule Corp. dino caps."

"What? I thought you said you needed medicine for yer little brother here!"

"Well the medicine I need are stored only in the dino caps!"

The enraged man pulled out his rifle from behind him and pointed it at Bulma. He slowly pressed his hand on the trigger.

"Ye work for Oolongs don't you?" Sneered the emaciated man.

"Whoa, whoa, buddy what are you talking about? We don't know anything about any Oolongs! We're just passer bys, honestly!"

"Ye tryin to play me for a fool, eh?"

"N-n-n-o honestly, we have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Bulma, watch it, if he shoots you with one of those it's gonna hurt. Remember when you got me." Warned Goku, as he pointed up to the red area on his head.

"Kid! This is gonna hurt me a WHOLE lot more than it did you!

"What do you mean?" Asked Goku.

"Let's just say I'm a girl! I've got softer skin!"

"Oh, so you want me to tell him to stop?"

"As long as you don't get me killed!"

"Um sir, Bulma doesn't like when you point those bee stinger things at her."

"Bee stings?"

"Sure, that's what they felt like." Responded Goku to Bulma's amazement.

"Gibba, check this fool!" Ordered the man behind the counter.

The big man pulled out a handgun and aimed it at Goku's head," Come on now little guy let's get going, we gonna have to leave the sheriff to deal with your sister here."

"Um, I don't think Bulma likes that idea."

"I definitely don't!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Hey my Grampa said that was a bad word!"

"Your Grampa? Who gives two beans and a cactus for your Grampa kid! Gibba off him!"

The fat man shot at Goku point blank range.

The bullet hit his head hard causing him to kneel on the floor.

"OOOOWWWW! That one was worse than Bulma's! I hate those ouchies!" Screamed Goku.

Goku quickly got up and swung his red staff underneath the big man's feet. Gibba suddenly fell down with a thud, losing his grip on the handgun.

"Now how does that feel?" Yelled Goku.

"What in the world?" Asked the old man holding the rifle.

"Hey you," said Goku as he glared at the sheriff, "Drop it, now, I already told you Bulma doesn't like that."

Gibba slowly tried to stand up as he tried to go for the handgun again.

Goku quickly darted at the fat man and swung his pole upwards, hitting it against the man's jawbone hard. Gibba fell on his back, cupping his jawbone as he groaned in pain.

"Gibba get up!"

Goku looked back at the perturbed sheriff.

"This is the second time I've already asked you, and last." Growled Goku.

"Goku wait!" Screamed Bulma, she knew there was no way Goku could reach to her safety in time, she needed to think of something quick. " Everything is going according to plan! You can stop now."

"Huh?" Said Goku perplexingly.

"You idiot! I too am not affected by bullets!" Screamed Bulma.

"What?"

"Come on, like I said that's my brother over there, we came from the venerable Oolong. He has sent me and my brother here into his village. Our exceptional skills will bring him the greatest riches this village has to offer. Therefore wouldn't it be obvious that are skills are of the same caliber." Smiled Bulma, she felt her heart thump loudly in her chest. She was hoping the plan would shake the sheriff into thinking it was futile for him to try and shoot her. "We've tricked you into thinking we couldn't handle ourselves and knocked your little friend here unconscious. It's all in the illusion and stealth baby!" Laughed Bulma.

"Yeah, uh whatever she said, just drop the ouchie!" Yelled Goku.

"You better listen to what he says." Sneered Bulma.

"I ain't droppin nothing!" Smiled the bearded man, as he winked over Bulma's shoulder towards Gibba, who was standing behind Goku with an axe.

Gibba quickly lowered the axe towards the boy's head. Goku sensing the danger quickly turned around to dodge the swing and slammed the red pole against Gibba's temple knocking him through the wall, the boy then quickly turned around and threw the staff right into the old man's hand, disabling his grip on the rifle.

Bulma quickly ducked under the counter, as Goku ran over to jump atop the bearded man. Goku held onto the old man's throat as he raised his other fist.

"Don't even think about touching the ouchie." Growled the boy.

"Goku, it's OK, you can get off of him now." Said Bulma as she got up from the floor.

Goku grabbed his staff and the rifle. The boy hopped over the counter, and stood next to the blue haired teenager.

"As I was saying we're here to get some capsules, where are they?" Asked Bulma defiantly.

"Grrr, you idiots I will never help you guys capture this village back, tell Oolong he can just forget it!" Yelled the man.

"Oolong, who is this Oolong you guys are talking about?"

"Oh, so now you're trying to make fun of us?"

"That was just a ruse I put up, I really don't know who this Oolong is!" Said Bulma.

"Answer her." Said Goku, as he held up his staff.

The old man looked at Bulma's forearm, " Hmm, there's no insignia there, hmph, I guess should've paid attention to that."

"What do you mean?" Asked Bulma.

"You buffoons really don't work for Oolong." Said the old sheriff as he brushed off the dust from his shoulders, " Well if you idiots must know Oolong is the demon that used to terrorize this village. Day in and day out he'd come over here and take our money and daughters. He'd sometimes send his goons here, they'd bear a pig insignia on their forearms." Pointed the old man. "Everyday was a nightmare. Everyday, up until a hero came and saved us. It was a small being, according to legend a small man was suppose to come and rescue us from this purge. And saved us he did, but he only managed to bring him away instead of destroying him. So day after day we wait in fear in case this danger returned and caused us grief once more."

"Wow he sounds strong, oh man I wanted to fight him." Frowned Goku.

"Well, that was interesting. You'd be glad to know we don't work for such a creep." Said Bulma, " I just told you my "little brother" was sick so you'd let us in, and then one thing just led to another as you can see."

"Hmm, come to think of it, y'all don't seem all that dangerous." The old man looked at Goku as he gave him a big grin back. "And that might be a problem, y'all need to toughen up out here."

"What are yous doin' here anyways?"

"We're in a treasure hunt, top secret can't say." Said Bulma.

"Dragon Balls!" Screamed Goku as he ran around the small store.

"Goku!"

"Dragon—what?"

"They're just relic gemstones, uh—I am an archeologist, I'm just on a journey to a site to excavate old artifacts." Lied Bulma.

"Hm, that's nice, only thing is yous gonna have to be careful beyond here. Up the road lies Fire Mountain, I'm sure y'all heard of the Ox King."

"Well as long as I have this tyke with me, I'm sure to stay outta trouble." Bulma looked over to see Goku practicing his swings on the staff.

"Hm, you're right this boy seems to be pretty strong if you asks me," said the old man, "Well, ok y'all said y'all needed capsules right?"

"Yeah we need a resupply if we're gonna continue."

Bulma was relieved the man finally understood their intentions and their innocence. She waited as the man came out the back of the pharmacy with three dino caps. One purple, the others red and blue.

"Good purple is a trailer, that would surely come in handy, I'm surprised you guys carry such a valuable capsule way out here!"

"Yeah, well we're practically vultures sweet thing, just vultures."

"I hate vultures!" Screamed Goku as he made a face.

"Well thanks again, I guess we'll be on our merry way then." Bulma turned around to see the unconscious man lying on the ground," Oh sorry for your friend here." She said regrettingly.

"No,no excuse us for the misunderstanding."

Bulma and Goku received cold stares from everyone as they walked down the run down pharmacy. The old bearded man came out and comforted everybody on their initial thoughts of them working for the terrifying Oolong. With just that statement everyone broke a sigh of relief and continued on about their busy routine. Bulma grew ever more curious about the mysterious persona, but at the same time so did her feelings of not running into him.

"Old man sir!" Yelled Goku, as the sheriff escorted them out the village.

"Yes boy."

"Have you seen another old man like you that has white hair, and could fight and is as strong as steel!"

"Ha, I'm afraid not kid, who yer lookin' for?"

"My Grampa, I thought you might know where he went, or if you've seen him."

"Kid a lot things get lost in this forest, chances are if you're Grampa is as strong as you say he is, that he's probably gonna be fine. I warn you though there are a lot scary things out there in the jungle kid."

"Well my Grampa taught me to have no fear."

"That's nice, and that my friend is the beginning of wisdom."

"Here Goku go over to this lady and get us a backpack real quick." Said Bulma as she deposited two coins in his hand, "Just hand her the coins after she gives you the bag, simple enough for you? I need to ask the sheriff here some questions."

"Yup!" Said Goku as he ran off.

"Kid's got energy." Said the sheriff.

"Yeah he does, so um this Oolong character , what happens if I like run into him somehow?"

"Well, first of all God forbids that happen, but if you do I want you to just run as far away as you can, because in reality there's nothing you can do."

"What do you mean?"

"He shapeshifts, he can turn into anything he wants, any beast, any human, any object, he's a demon! You'd just better watch yer step carefully!"

"Yikes! And who was it that saved you guys from him again?"

"It was a short man, a short blue creature from the Nuukub clan. I forgot his name though. Somehow he just simply talked Oolong out of terrorizing our village."

"Hmm—"

Bulma was interrupted by a sudden scream coming from the marketplace, she turned around to her horror to see a huge bulge under the woman's skirt.

"Aaaaahhhh! Get off! Get off!"

"Oh no." Whimpered Bulma

"Bulma, I really can't tell the difference between a boy and a girl, but this person's got no balls!"

"GOKU!"

Everyone in the marketplace got in an uproar as the boy moved around under the woman's skirt, checking if she was male or not.

"Goku, get out from under her!" Screamed Bulma.

"You two are disgusting!" Yelled a villager.

"Get outta here you perverts!" Screamed another one.

"Get off! Get off!" Screamed the woman as she smacked the little boy around her skirt.

Goku got out confused,"Bulma she might be a girl, what do you think!"

"Oh boy," Bulma said as she placed her face against her palm," I am so sorry for this, he's seriously hasn't been trained yet." Bulma said bashfully.

"Well then I suggest yous get outta here then!" Exclaimed the sheriff.

The sheriff quickly escorted the duo on and out the village before anymore riots broke out.

"OK you two I guess our encounter ends here, " Said the sheriff as he pointed up to a rocky path leading out the other side of the village," Just follow this path here, you shouldn't be in that much of a danger, if you just keep this road here."

"Got it! Thanks again!" Exclaimed Bulma.

"Thank you old man!"

"Hey kid, I'm not as old as you think." Smiled the old sheriff.

"Goku I'm gonna make a quick pit stop, we've been riding around for about an hour now."

The land was covered in heavy forestry and huge boulders, they were still in the forest of Mt. Paozu, but the sight of huge boulders were a good sign, this meant that they were getting closer to the mountains, the Huellen Mountains to be exact, and that meant progress to the girl, as she was picking up a faint signal towards that very direction.

"What's a pit stop, can I come?"

"Does the words PIT STOP mean anything to YOU?"

"What? Why are you yelling Bulma?"

"Never mind Goku, just don't follow me!"

Bulma quickly stomped her way towards the huge boulders facing the trees.

"Geez, what am I gonna do with this kid?" she asked herself.

"O.K. I guess I'll just stand here and train some more." Said Goku, as he pulled out his power pole and started to swing it around in a calculated manner.

"1, 2, 3, HA! Almost perfect just gotta put more into that swing."

Goku spun the pole around his hand and back. He spun it on top of his head and brought it down on his back, all while swinging it into effective attack positions. The boy moved with the energy of the pole, the movements of the wind, the movements of his Grandfather. He twirled and spun, did a headstand and twirled the staff with his feet. He flipped back up, catching it with his hand. He stood up to realize the mini whirlwind he created around him, as the last vestige of it blew through the vegetation around, picking up the surrounding soil and pebbles.

"OK Here I go 1,2,3 HA!"

Goku proceeded to do a mid air flip and kick. He then lunged himself with the staff and smacked the earth below, causing it to give way to a small crack.

"Wow Grampa would've been proud if he'd seen how much better I've gotten with the power pole." Said Goku to himself.

Goku stared onto the red staff, as memories of him and his Grampa started to come back. The boy's determination to find his Grandfather grew stronger as he knew deep down, that there would be no way his Grandfather would've ran out on him like this. Goku clutched onto the staff and started to practice another swing. "This one is for Grampa—" Before the boy could begin his training maneuver, the girl's scream came piercing through the air.

"**GOKUUU COME HERE QUICK!" **Screamed Bulma.

"Man, girls sure are confusing, at first she didn't want me to come at all, now she's yelling at me again for not coming."

"I'm coming Bulma!"

Goku quickly sped over to Bulma's direction.

"GOOKUUU HELP ME! GOOOooookkuuuu …"

Her voice quickly trailed away into the thick jungle.

"Bulma! Where are you?"

To Goku's surprise he arrived at the scene, with her nowhere to be found.

"Bulma! Bulma! Bulma!"

Goku quickly scoured the jungle floor to find any clues, he desperately tried to pick up her scent so as to know where she went, he started to panic when all of a sudden he heard a loud roar echo a few feet behind him.

"**RRRRRRRRRRAAAOOOAOAOOAO!"**

The boy quickly turned around to unveil a massive insect-like creature stomping towards his direction. The creature's mouth protruded out into a long red tube. Its green shell gave it its perfect camouflage in the jungle. It had two little flippers and two huge rhinoceros like feet at the rear. Its ears were two mound like hills that came out on each side of his head, his eyes were nowhere to be found, and his size was that of a black bear.

"What did you do to Bulma, you creep!" screamed the boy.

The insect stared down at the boy, getting ready for mortal combat.

"I don't want to have to do this, but you're starting to give me no choice!" replied Goku, as he prepared himself for the attack.

"**HA HA HA HA HA!** You fool have you no idea in what kind of a squabble you've got yourself into!"

The boy turned around to see a little bird like figure dancing on a nearby branch. He had the nose and the mouth of a man but the body of a mouse. Its skinny pink arms had two to three feathers each. It had a little mouse tail, flailing back forth wildly, matching its excitement.

"You! What did you too Bulma ?" screamed the child.

"Kid, first rule of combat, never take your eyes off the target!" cackled the little creature.

The insect-like beast charged at the boy full speed, shaking the ground beneath its behemoth feet.

**BooM!**

Direct hit.

Goku flew over ten feet across the jungle floor, skidding along the dirt path.

He quickly jumped to his feet, only to be met by the beast's horns coming towards his face. Goku quickly threw up his pole and blocked the monster's assault.

The struggle between the two were intense, and Goku felt the pressure, one slip and this might be the end of his search.

"I'm gonna find my Grampa…. And ..save Bulma, NO MATTER WHAT!" As soon as he said that, he felt his body suddenly being lifted up from the ground.

"What's going on?"

Little did he realize the creature's long tube like mouth was hurling him into the air from underneath his little feet.

"WHooooaoaao!"

The boy flew up high into the air, and looked down only to see the monster's tube like mouth wide open ready to swallow him whole.

"Not today buddy, lunch is cancelled!" He said as he landed on top of the orifice of the creature's mouth.

The only thing that kept him from being swallowed as he landed on a headstand, was his right timing in blocking his swift death by placing his pole sideways on the entrance of its mouth, blocking his fatal entry into the tube- like maw.

With that, he propelled himself off its mouth with the pole and landed on the creature's back.

"Whoa, slow down tiger!"

The beast jumped up and down trying to impale the child on its sharp horns.

"I ride tigers and lions all the time where I'm from , so this is nothing!"

"**RRRRROAOAOAOA!"**

"Now where is Bulma!"

The creature continued flailing its body violently, almost tossing the boy off.

"Whoa! Gotcha!" He exclaimed as he quickly wrapped his tail around one of its two other horns on its back, preventing his gory death.

"OK playtime's over!" With that Goku stood on top of the violent creature, and put his staff on his back and jumped off towards the monster's rear.

As he was landing behind the brute he grabbed onto one of its rear horns and lifted it up into the air chucking it fifty feet across the dense jungle, hard. "Raaaaaaa!" Yelled the boy as his tiny arms lifted the gargantuan creature up and out of clear sight.

"Now that that's over with , where's Bulma?" he yelled at the bird like critter, who stood there gawking at the victorious boy.

"You truly are an amazing child!" laughed the mysterious creature.

"Where is Bulma?" asked Goku, losing his patience fast.

"Why should you care about that rotten girl anyway, don't you see her ambitions were purely selfish? She was only using you to get _**her**_wish you idiot!"

"Not true she was helping me find my Grandfather too!"

"You idiot! None of these things will matter soon enough, because you see," said the wide eyed creature as he skipped eagerly forward, "Our Lord is now alive and well, he is back, the King of Darkness is back! And you can't do anything about it!" Danced the little creature.

"What are you talking about?" asked Goku confused.

"Well, I do believe there is one thing, someone as lowly as you, can do for the King," smiled the critter, "And that is giving up that orb in your sack, you see even though it took us twelve years to nurse him back to health, he stills needs his full strength and youth, but that task is quite impossible without the aide of those orbs, you and that girl were searching for."

"No! I don't know who you're talking about but I won't give them to someone like you!"

"Hmm, that's what I thought, OK kid don't tell me I didn't tell you so, but we'll eventually get it, the hard way."

"Give Bulma back!" Screamed Goku, as he jumped toward the creature.

The little bird like creature just jumped up and dodged Goku's charge.

"Whoa, you're pretty good kid! You didn't look that strong the last time I saw you."

"What do you mean?" Screamed Goku.

Anyway see you later! HAHAHHAHA !" With that he started to fly away.

"You're not going anywhere!" Goku took out his staff from his back and slammed it against he ground. He quickly aimed it at a forty five degree angle.

"Perfect shot." He whispered.

"POWER POLE EXTEND!"

Goku then let go of the red staff. The pole suddenly started to vibrate wildly and emit a red aura as it did so. Dust and glitter started to come out of the stick as it continued to shake violently, and then within a blink of an eye it shot up with a great speed and such a sheer force that it cracked open the ground beneath, causing a five feet diameter hole. The force created such a wind that even Goku had to try his best to hold ground.

The pole extended with such great alacrity that it caught up with the flying bird like creature in an instant and struck it hard against its skull, knocking it unconscious to the ground.

"OK, let's see that's about twenty to thirty feet down there, ready, set," Goku slowly crouched down into a racing position, "Go!"

With that he sped off with a great momentum towards the creature's crash site.

When he was just three feet away from the critter it was still in the middle of his fatal descent.

"I can see I got a lot faster." Smiled Goku as he quickly caught up with the falling creature.

"There," stopped Goku. "Oi, my power pole is still in the ground over there, oh man, this should just take a minute." With that he sped off towards his pole that was still stuck to the ground.

No sooner than ten seconds Goku arrived at his pole and pulled it out the ground, he quickly put it in his back, and ran back to the falling victim.

With just milliseconds away from impact and death the creature was falling straight into the hard ground.

" Uh-oh, that's bad!" said Goku, as he picked up his speed.

With one great gust of speed he ran towards the falling critter, but quickly ran past it.

"**Whoopss!"**

He quickly braked and ran back.

Then as the creature's head feather touched the ground ever so slightly, Goku's hand zoomed in and scooped it up quick, saving him from an ugly end.

"Whew, now you can tell me where Bulma is!"

"Uuuuuhhhh….. kid have you no idea who you're messing with?" Groaned the little animal.

"No but I do know **who you're** messing with."

"You've got guts punk!"

"Whatever," Goku quickly tied him up with a nearby vine that was growing on the bark of a tree. "You're coming with me!"

"What the… kid you're making a big mistake! I'm not just a little bird you know!"

"What do you mean, you look pretty small to me." Grinned Goku.

"Remember when I told you I've seen you before. Well that was me, that blue furry little creature with the striped tail you saw back at your house!"

"What are you talking about, you don't anything like it."

"Obviously you've never heard of optical illusions, eh?"

"Whatever you're babbling about, I don't care! Just tell me where Bulma is."

The boy just kept walking with his new prisoner down the jungle trail.

"You idiot!" screamed the critter.

The little guy then suddenly started to transform. His eyes turned into a beet red, as his fangs started to grow out his mouth.

"**I use to terrorize many villages you mongrel!" **He growled.

"Whoa." Whispered Goku, as the little monster started to burst out the stringy vines and transform into a massive tarantula.

" **YOU INSIGNIFICANT FOOL!" **

The creature kept growing and growing , it soon stood tall as the fifty feet trees that dressed the landscape. It's was of dark red blood color with black blotches. Its eight red eyes gleamed with bloody murder. Its fangs oozed with the hazardous toxin that was on it. Its eight hirsute legs scrambled to find balance, causing the ground to tremble.

"**WHAT SAY YOU NOW, CHILD!"**

"I say you're still **small !"** Laughed Goku.

"**THEN PERISH !" ** The giant arachnid then launched its fangs toward the laughing child, as he prepared to cut his little head off clean.

Goku quickly dodged the spider's bite by jumping up and landing on his feet. He swiftly withdrew his power pole from his back, ready to fight.

"Wait a minute, since you said you're big, I guess I'll need a bigger pole."

He quickly ran over to the tall and thick tree behind him.

"Let's see now, this'll work!"

With one punch to the base of the tree and another a few feet up, he knocked out its midsection , creating a longer thicker staff.

"OK Let's go." Said Goku, as he grinned widely at the frightened spider.

"**W-What are you?"**Screamed the creature as he suddenly transformed into a bat and started to fly off.

"I hit you with the power pole last time when you tried to fly off, I really don't think you'd like me to use **this** tree now!" Screamed Goku, as he prepared to launch the thick trunk he was holding in his hand.

"EEeekk! Darn it the kid's right." Whispered the creature as he slowly started to descend towards the boy.

"You got me kid."

"Yeah, now tell me where Bulma is!"

"Look, I don't know OK, some group of hooded freaks kidnapped her."

"Who were they?"

"I don't know!"

"OK, well maybe I oughta start teaching you a lesson then." Said Goku as he withdrew his glowing power pole.

"Wait kid, wait! Geez ,Pilaf, O.K .the goons; they work for Emperor Pilaf of the Nuukub clan, I'm just getting paid for this gig!" Replied the terrified creature.

"Why'd they kidnap Bulma?"

"Why do you think kid? The dragon balls of course, Pilaf wants it so that he can give them to Lord Piccolo, who is currently in his care as we speak!"

"Who's Piccolo? What are you talking about?"

"Who's the Demon King! Kid have you been living under a rock?"

"Whoever this Pilaf and Piccolo is, I'm gonna make them give Bulma back, and how about an old man, what do you know about that?"

"What old man?"

"My Grandfather!"

"How should I know?"

"Well you're coming with me!"

"Coming with you?"

"Yup, you're gonna help me find Bulma."

"Whoa kid! I don't think so, as far as I'm concerned, I'm out!"

With that, the creature tried to transform into a flea and escape, but to no avail.

"Oh man, looks like I'm starting to lose my energy, noooooooo!"

The flea then slowly started to revert into a short stubby talking pig. The little three foot porker stood on two legs like a human and had hands and fingers of a person too.

"Darn it, well this is embarrassing, here's the real me in the flesh."

"You're really a pig? But how can you talk?" asked Goku.

"Well, kid legend has it that my people were cursed by the Great Demon King Piccolo. We were once very beautiful people, but we were later punished by him, when he turned us into short little pigs. That's the reason I chose to work for Pilaf here, I was hoping Lord Piccolo might reverse this curse once I helped him gain his wish."

"Wow, how did you learn to transform though?"

"It's called the art of shape shifting, it was taught to me years ago by a wise master."

"Cool, I wanna learn too!"

"Don't worry about it, he's long dead."

"Oh, geez I'm sorry."

"What's your name by the way?" asked Goku.

"Oolong."

"Oolong! You're that demon guy that old guy was talking about! Oh man he said you could transform!"

"Took you long enough kid!"

"Wow! Well, you really weren't hard to beat at all, I don't know what they're talking about. You're not even scary!" Laughed Goku.

"Hey, hey watch it!" Yelled the pig.

"Then why'd you stop terrorizing villages, the blue man scared you away. I wanna fight him then!"

"No! Pilaf, he came in and talked to me, can't tell you what about, but he gained the heroic favor of many villages nearby, and coaxed me into working with him."

"Do you like working with him?"

"Like I said kid, I'm doing this for my benefit, and plus when Lord Piccolo becomes powerful again, I'm going to be automatically exempt from his punishment." Smiled Oolong.

"Oh, well my name is Goku."

"That's nice, look kid-hey what are you doing?" screamed Oolong.

Goku was going around and around the pig tying him up with several thick vines that were on a nearby tree.

"There, that's all tight now, and if you ever get your energy back and try to transform, I'll just kill you." Laughed Goku.

"You seem pretty nice to be saying something like that."

"Come on, we need to go find Bulma, I'll try my best to pick up her scent." Said Goku as he pulled the pig along with him.

"Aw come on, you'll just mess up my new vest!" Oolong was wearing a light brown shirt and a leather brown vest on top of it. His kakhi pants and brown moccasins offset the umber wristband and bead necklace he wore.

"I don't care, now come on Oolong, hahhahahahhahahahha, you're funny."

"Look kid you really don't wanna mess with Pilaf or Lord Piccolo, they'll have our heads!"

"I don't care, they're gonna have a hard time taking mine, Bulma says I have a thick head."

"Oh boy, we're dead," Said Oolong, " What did I do to deserve this?"

The pair quickly disappeared from the jungle and onto the far mountains.

A few miles away, in the interim, a large cargo was riding through the rocky terrain of the cool Mishoshou Desert.

"How much longer until we reach Fargo's Temple?" asked the small blue man, as he propped himself on the driver's seat.

"It's still a couple ways from here." Replied the other uncanny driver, "Did you check on the girl?"

"Yes, she's asleep."

"Good, Lord Piccolo will be delighted, and Emperor Pilaf will gain his righteous reward for aiding the Demon King in this endeavor."

"Where are we exactly, Justus?"

"Mishoshou Desert, why?"

"Nothing it's just that," the little blue creature stared at the giant pair of triceratops that were driving the carriage ahead, "I've heard stories of this place."

"Opinius, when will you learn not to be believe in old fools' fables." Growled Justus.

"But this desert looks creepy in the dark evening." Said Opinius, as he hunched down in his monk like garb, pulling his hood over.

"Well then, we just have to be scarier then." Replied Justus.

"Uuuuhhhh," graoned Bulma, as she slowly started to uncover her whereabouts, "Where am I?"

She slowly started to look around the empty room in the cargo. It was surrounded by harpoons and spears, skulls of diverse creatures and giant insect moldings.

"Goku?" Whispered Bulma.

"Oh man, where in the world am I?" She sat up, only to find herself tied up by thickly woven ropes.

"What the… I remember now, I was kidnapped by a pair of dwarves, where are they taking me?"

"This is bad." Groaned Bulma.

"I need to get out of here quick." Bulma started to roll over to where the harpoons and spears were placed. Just a little bit more and she'll be free. She thought of a way to cut herself free, or maybe in a desperate situation such as this, find a way to burn the cargo for distraction.

The rocky terrain shook the wagon back and forth causing the objects to fall off the creaky shelves, and glass jars with animal eyes to crack beside her.

"Oh God, this stinks." She scrunched her face as she tried to stand up against the wall and reach for the spear nearby. The inside of the wagon was dark, the only way she saw her way through was thanks to the small window next to the old shelves.

"This is crazy." Whispered Bulma, " Wait whoa! A dagger!" She tried to reach for the weapon with her mouth. She stood on her tippy toe trying to grab the key to her freedom.

"Almost there—"

"**Yes, we are almost there."**

Bulma quickly turned around to see the little goblin like creature staring back at her, smiling.

"AAAAAHHHHHH, What do you guys want from me?"

"Be quiet, right now we just want you to sit still!"

"Look, I'll give you guys anything if you'll let me go, I'm like the richest girl in the world, I'll give you anything!"

"We don't need anything from you, we've already obtained the orb."

"The dragon ball?"

"Yes, and now we will bring you before the Emperor and Demon King."

"Give that dragon ball back !"

"You foolish girl, Lord Piccolo will rise once again, and none of your lives will matter. He will have his vengeance!"

"Lord Piccolo?"

"I am sure you've heard of him."

"Piccolo, sounds familiar, like something from history class or something."

"Well, child this isn't history anymore, this is well in the present, and it will soon bring a doomed future for you and everyone else!"

"Darn it, I've heard of selfish people like you that would just obtain the dragon balls for their evil purposes."

"You idiot! You dare call the coming God of this world a fool !" Opinius lunged out his frail arms and revealed a sharp dagger.

"One more word from you and I'll cut off that pretty little tongue of yours." He sneered, as he swung the pointed blade around.

Bulma dropped down to her knees and lowered her head.

"Where's Goku when you need him?" She whispered.

"What did you say?" asked Opinius as he slowly walked towards the girl.

" I said you will pay for this!"

"How dare you!" Opinius quickly sprinted and lunged towards Bulma's mouth.

The little creature wrestled as he tried to get a hold of her mouth.

"Let go! Somebody help!"

"Come on, girlie, it will only hurt a lot!" squealed Opinius.

She felt his cold bony fingers trying to her pry her mouth open. His bloodthirsty eyes illuminated with delight as he started to shove the tip of the blood stained blade into her mouth.

"Or would you rather me slit your throat !" He quickly pointed the knife towards her pulse.

"Oh yes, imagine the wonderful mess this will make, Don't think I mind, I'd actually would love to lick it all back up !" Cackled Opinius as he showed his sharp little teeth that decorated his hideous gums.

Before he could proceed with his evil plan, a sudden jolt threw Opinius off the girl and onto the side of the wagon.

"What was that?" He screamed.

He could hear the sounds of blows and weapons being exchanged in the driver's seat, which quickly made him uneasy and nervous.

"Justus!" He sprinted towards the driver's seat.

Bulma swiftly sat up and thanked whatever intervention saved her life.

"Oh no, it's you, not you !"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Bulma could hear the frightened screams of Justus and Opinius in anterior of the wagon.

The sounds of a beast, a wolf growling and tearing flesh, that what it sounded like the most.

Later she saw bloody Opinius scrambling in to where she was, in the back room.

"It's him, he's here! I have to kill you now, before-"

Before he could finish his sentence a huge shiruken had implanted itself deep into the back of his skull, causing an instantaneous death.

Bulma's heart skipped a beat as she saw the little creature die right in front of her. Her mind raced, ' Who could it be, is this for my own good?' She thought. Bulma quickly squirmed over to the corner. She suddenly heard footsteps walking in from the driver's seat. 'Could it be Goku?' She thought.

As the figure came in through the back door, it was apparent it wasn't Goku. The dark silhouette walked in the room. The faint moonlight from the window shined upon his face and revealed his visage. His skin was tan. His muscles were toned and sweaty. He had a white band of rope tied around his arm and fist. His hair was black like the night sky , and his brown eyes like the desert sand.

Bulma jumped up and hit her back against the wall, causing more cans to fall.

"Who's here?" Demanded the figure, "Show yourself immediately."

Bulma plopped herself on the wooden floor and begged for her life, "Please don't kill me, I'm too young and beautiful to die!"

The figure looked down on the girl.

"Stand up!"

She quickly managed to get herself up, she exhaled when she saw it was just a man.

"Whew, I though you were like a monster or something."

The man still couldn't see the stranger in the half lit room.

"No, you're right… **I** **am** a monster."

"Wh—" Bulma felt the sudden cold grip of fear grab her throat, as she realized her end.

"Yamcha! Lord Yamcha! I found it, the money, I've got it!"

The man quickly turned around to a flying blue feline like creature approaching him with the loot.

"Puar! I'm busy right now! Just hop on the jet pad and I'll meet you later!"

"Oh, but Lord Yamc-"

"Puar, go now, we can't let any witnesses escape."

"Lord Yamcha, it's a… girl!"

" A what?"

"The stranger, it's a girl, I can see you've finally got over your fear of women!"

"It's a female! But it's so dark how can you—" He was swiftly interrupted when he moved in closer and got a better look at her face.

"It—c-c-c an't be i-it's a **GIRL!"**

"**PUAR RUN IT'S AGIRL, AN ACTUAL LIVE FEMALE! LET'S GET OUTTA HERE! RUN!"**

"Wait! Don't leave me here! Wait up!" Bulma tried to hop over to the man, begging for his help.

"**PUAR ON THE JET PAD QUICK! HOW CAN THERE BE AN ACTAUL GIRL HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!"**

"Calm down Lord Yamcha! She's not going to bite!"

"Come on Puar don't act like an idiot, you well know my reasons! We have to go now!"

"Wait, please!" Screamed Bulma.

He quickly ran over and jumped on top a floating jet pad and quickly sped off into the desert plains.

"B-b-but you were so cute." She whispered, as she stared at the speeding jet pad.

She quickly looked down and saw the two dead triceratops that were pulling the carriage earlier.

'Wow, if he did that, then he must really be strong.' Thought Bulma.

"Great, how am I gonna get out of here now." Said Bulma dejectingly ,as she stared into the lone desert moon.

"Come on Oolong, we're never gonna get anywhere with you dragging like this."

"Kid! Remember I'm not with you in this crazy muddle, you forced me into this. The only thing I wanted to do was obtain the dragon balls and give them to Lord Piccolo!"

"Oolong look we're almost there!"

"Almost where, kid it's nighttime, how about we take a rest!"

"I don't need to see, I can smell other animals and people from a distance, and right now I smell people!"

"What do you mean you smell people?"

"Come Oolong, just over that mountainside!"

"Kid we're still in the jungle!"

"Yeah, but—"

Goku was suddenly interrupted by a bellowing roar that echoed through the dark forest.

"What was that?" asked Goku.

"That my friend, sounded like trouble."

"No, I think it's an animal of some sort."

"No duh! What I meant was letting me go, and you going ahead and killing yourself if you want!"

Goku slowly walked towards the bellowing echo, dragging the pig with him.

"Kid, look listen stop, really, STOP, you're dragging me to certain death!"

"It sound like it's in pain Oolong."

The deep bellowing rang again, bouncing off through the forest trees. It created an eerie feeling. A feeling of deep and cold solitude.

"Listen you runt, whatever it is, it's probably attracting idiots like you for food!"

"Aw, stop being such a downer Oolong, it really needs our help." Said Goku as he hopped over a moss covered log, carrying Oolong with him.

"How would you know!"

"I don't know, I just know, I hear things in the forest and in animals. I'm just weird I guess, hah ha hahah h aha." Laughed Goku as he skipped to the source of the ever louder cry.

Soon after going through a cave and some thick vines and bushes, and over a deep river, they finally got to the source of the loud sound.

"We're almost there Oolong, it should.. be… here!"

Goku dropped Oolong off his head, and held him by the vine as he stared down a swamp.

"See kid, nothing there, now let's go, this place gives me the creeps. All these thick trees and vines, huge dragonflies and scary animal sounds. Not to mention it's a little dark here!"

"I know I heard it, it's somewhere here, it's hurt and lonely."

"Listen, let's just go, and GET OUT OF HERE!"

"But Oolong—"

No sooner did Goku speak, a large moss covered wooden like turtle climbed out of the dark green swamp. It stood about eighty feet tall, and it's width was quite gargantuan. The slimy swamp waters rolled off it's back and poured out its mouth, the creature stared his tiny yellow eyes into the boy's face.

"I told you Oolong."

"It's hurt Oolong, just like I said."

"Kid I don't care if it was God, we have to go!"

"No wait!"

Goku grabbed Oolong and jumped into the swamp with him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT'S A SWAMP KING!"

"So?"

"THEY'RE DANGEROUS CARNIVORES!"

"Trust me Oolong, it's OK."

The monster swung its head around and slowly lowered its neck. It stared deep into Goku's eyes as he swam over to him.

"THIS IS CRAZY!"

Goku finally stopped and climbed atop a boulder in the middle of the swamp.

"O.K. Mr. Swamp Turtle," he yelled, " I'm here to help you, just trust me."

The Swamp Turtle let out deep groan as he stared down at Goku and Oolong.

"Wait right here Oolong, I'll be back."

"You must be happy you've surrounded me around this swamp, or I would've been

gone!" Yelled Oolong.

Goku jumped up and hopped on the swamp monster's arm and from there jumped up to his head.

"OK Mr. Turtle what's wrong?" asked Goku, as he lowered his head to look into its eyes.

**BBBBRBBBBRBRBBBBBBBRBRBBBBBBB**

"It's going to be OK" Goku said as he patted the Swamp king's head.

"Kid! This is crazy!"

"It's O.K. Oolong, it's just lost."

Goku looked back at the saddened swamp king.

"It's all right I'll get you home."

"YOU"LL WHAT—KID THAT THING IS LIKE, TEN TONS!" Screamed Oolong.

"I don't care how much it weighs, everyone deserves a chance to make it home."

Goku stood on top of the swamp king's snout, gaining his balance.

" Show me where you live Mr. Turtle!"

**BBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO**

The swamp king's groan vibrated the swamp waters, and rumbled the nearby trees, causing Goku to almost lose balance.

" Oolong, he says he's hurt, broke a leg or something, looks like I'll have to carry him out of here !"

"OH NO, NO ,NO, NO YOU'RE NOT, YOU CAN'T KID!"

"Grampa says that impossibility is a word created by cowards with no hope!"

"WELL WHERE'S YOUR GRAMPA NOW, EH ?"

"Don't worry Mr. Turtle, Oolong is just worried about your safety," smiled Goku, "O.K. now let's see, I'll need some strong enough vines to carry you in."

As the boy was looking around , a sudden tremble ripped through the green waters.

"Whoa, what was that ?" panicked Oolong.

No sooner did he say that, a large serpent like creature slowly protruded itself out of the murky waters. It's long russet body was covered in slime, It had a snake's skull for a head. Its huge withered arms came out from the water from beside it. It had a long spiky fin that ran from the top of its cranium down to its tail, which was split in two.

The swamp king let out a loud groan as soon as it caught sight of it.

"Oolong! I think that's the guy who bought this poor turtle in!" yelled Goku.

"KID! WE'VE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE NOW !"

"But we can't just leave the turtle here by itself !"

"FORGET ABOUT THE TURTLE, WE'VE GOTTA GO NOW!"

"No, Oolong, we have to save him, he can't defend himself right now."

"KID WE DON'T OWE THAT TURTLE ANYTHING!"

The sea snake just stared at the stubborn boy standing at the snout of the swamp king.

"I'm not gonna let you eat him! Only if he was able to fight would I have left him alone! But at his condition he can't lift a finger against you!"

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT HONOR KID !"

The sea snake just sneered and lowered itself slowly into the water, its eye cavities started to glow a deep green, while a pumice colored mist came out its mouth, almost covering his careful descent in mystery.

"OK, IT'S GONE NOW! NOW CAN WE LEAVE?"

Goku slowly took out the power pole staff from his back, and stared down at the murky waters.

The waters started to sizzle and glow an eerie green. The swamp was now the only source of light that illuminated the dark jungle.

With one sudden shock and movement the sea snake ripped out of the green waters and lunged at the swamp king's throat, attempting to end its life right here.

"Whoa, whoa!"

Goku trembled at the unforeseen shock, and started to lose his balance atop the swamp king's nose.

The boy quickly latched on to the creature's muzzle and forced himself down towards the sea snake's head. The violent shaking of the two behemoths rumbled the earth underneath them , almost shaking Goku off into the swampy waters below.

Oolong frantically looked around him as the swamp started to give off an excess amount of steam. Soon he started to hear the loud sizzling noise that was starting to surround him everywhere. He could catch a sight of a nearby plant melting from the steam of the swamp, and the trees nearby withering.

He suddenly felt the boulder he was standing on start to shift. He quickly looked down, and much to his amazement, he realized what was happening.

"HEY KID! THAT SEA SNAKE RELEASED SOME SORT OF ACIDIC VENOM INTO THE SWAMP, IT'S MELTING EVERYTHING, AND WEAKENING THAT SWAMP KING!"

Before Oolong could finish his statement, Goku launched himself towards the sea snake's head and took out his power pole, preparing to impale it head on. He grabbed on to its head with one hand while holding the staff in the other.

"KID, WATCH IT!"

With one swing, the sea snake let go of the injured swamp king and flicked his head up, causing Goku to be lifted up into the air.

The serpent then launched itself toward the sky opening his mouth wide.

The jerking movement caused Goku to even lose his equilibrium, the falling boy was only half conscious as he suddenly felt a cold and wet darkness surround him. It was only then that he realized the worst… he was swallowed, whole.

"**GOKU, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**


	5. Desert Desperado

**CHAPTER 5**

Back at Mt. Paozu the different tanks and military jeeps parked along the front yard of the broken old cottage.

"Well, looks like something big happened here." Said one of the soldiers, as he scoured the demolished site.

"This is weird, no report from Lt. Grey or his team of stealth fighters, no sign of the old man that supposedly resides here, nothing at all." The Sergeant stood up, after he inspected the rubble.

"Sgt. Brown , we tried tracking down the forest within a ten mile radius, we've found nothing , no evidence, no clues, nada. This is just too weird, we expected to find the old man waiting up here."

"Well, how about a two hundred mile radius, who knows he could've escaped."

"Sgt! Two hundred miles, but-b-b"

"Not you! You buffon, I meant Him."

"Who's him?"

"You mean to tell me ,you haven't released him yet!"

"Oh, geez, you're right, excuse me Sgt. Brown ,Sir!"

The frightened soldier quickly ran over to an armored convoy.

On the back of a huge armored truck laid a metal keypad. The soldier swiftly punched the code to get the doors to open. All of a sudden a beeping sound was heard and the sound of the two steel doors slowly unfolding before the platoon's eyes was heard with tight suspense.

All of a sudden a loud thumping could be heard inside the truck. All they could see was the darkness inside the truck. They all stared at the truck, nervous and scared, not knowing what to expect. The huge thumping was heard again. This time though, the truck rattled and rocked to the sound of the deep noise. A creepy low groan could be heard emanating from the back of the truck, echoing off the nearby trees. The thumping was heard again, it was obvious He was coming out the truck, ready to take action. All the soldiers gripped on their weapons, almost ready for anything. The low groan once again hit their eardrums, causing them to shake, as they can see His leather steel boot appearing out of the shadow.

"It's Him," whispered one of the cadets," It's really him, for the first time we'll see what he's really about."

The leather boots landed on the ground with a resonant boom. The soldiers slowly looked up at the 11'6" android. The bright moon shined upon his hard steel face. His bone structure was fear inspiring. His jaws were that of the gods. His vast biceps made fifty gorillas seem like insignificant gnats. His broad body could encompass and tackle sixty healthy bulls. His mighty legs and hands were of the strongest kind, like nothing on Earth. The moonlight reflected off his dark sunglasses, giving way to his spiky red hair.

"Major FullMetal, we have a very important assignment for you," said the Sgt, as he casually walked up towards the behemoth machine. "We need you to find—"

"**I already know about the old man."**

"Uh—yes, of course, well then, if you—"

"**I will proceed with my assignment now."**

"Uh—excuse me Fullmetal, I haven't finished speaking."

"**By way of rank, I am higher than you Sergeant Brown."**

"Why you! You're just a robot, a machine, bucket of bolts, you have to listen to what _I _have to say understand ! The computer never overrides his controller! That's the way the world works!"

"**But, what if the controller cannot control the computer."**

"Oh yeah? Mind if I give you a test run then? Cadet! throw me the control!"

One of the soldiers quickly rushed to the front of the truck, and gave it to a nearby comrade. He quickly ran over and threw the remote towards the Sgt.'s direction.

The Sgt. stared at the remote and reached out for it.

"There, now let's see who's controlling who."

"WHAT THE—WHERE'D IT GO? , WHERE'S THE REMOTE?"

The Sgt. frantically searched for the lost remote.

"YOU GUYS THINK THIS IS FUNNY?"

"Sir, we did throw it to you."

"SO THIS IS A BIG JOKE TO YOU, EH?"

"**Yes." **Replied the tall android.

"Look buddy, I didn't-" The Sgt. was interrupted when he noticed the small remote controller in the hands of the Major.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked.

"**I've obtained it from your men, when they threw it."**

"What do you mean? They threw it directly to me."

"**Not exactly, their aim was 45 degrees off, so I took it upon myself to intercept it."**

"There's no way in this green Earth that you caught that remote, when , how?"

"**It is apparent that the human eye is incapable of handling such speeds."**

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"**Like I previously stated, I caught it as it was being casted into the atmosphere, your optical senses simply couldn't register the sheer speed of the movement." **

"But I felt it in my hands, as if I caught it, and that's when I realized it was just a stupid rock!"

"**Simple, I managed to apprehend the hand held device, and fool your senses."**

"So you're saying that you had enough time to catch the remote in mid air, and switch it with the rock that is in my hand, without any of us here noticing."

"**Precisely." **Replied the confident android.

"This, this is amazing, I can't believe it, what have we got ourselves into." Chuckled the Sgt. nervously, as he wiped his brow, staring into the robot's eyes.

"**Now, I will proceed with my mission."**

The robot then walked over to the demolished cottage, bend down on one knee and picked up the dust and rocks, that were on the floor. A red glow came from behind his dark shades and proceeded to analyze the site and take pictures of the rubble. He took the dust from the mound and put it into his mouth, swallowing it. With that he stood up and turned around slowly, putting the small remote controller in his vest pocket.

"**We are not dealing with average beings."** He stated, ** according to the DNA sample I have extracted from this rubble there is another being that must've resided with the old man."**

"**We may also be dealing with a mere child."**

"WHAT?" yelled the Sgt. "THE RED RIBBON ARMY DOES NOT WASTE ITS TIME WITH CHILDREN!"

The heavy machine just looked down upon the Sgt. sternly.

"YOU HEARD ME, YOU MUST BE MALFUNCTIONING!"

The robot went inside his vest pocket and handed the apprehended controller back to the Sgt.

"**Sgt. Brown, where I stand, I can end your life, but it would be considered unethical for me to do so. So if you do not believe me, then please, put an end to **_**my**_** life."**

Shocked by the action of the robot, the whole team stood there quiet, anticipating the Sgt. 's next move.

The air was quiet and tense.

The Sgt. caressed the red button on the remote controller, preparing to disable the nuisance in front of him.

The robot stared into the man's eyes, defiant as ever.

The Sgt. looked down at the remote controller, gripping it tighter.

He then looked up into the giant's eyes.

"Go then," he replied, " just eliminate this disturbance once and for all, child or not."

"**Yes. I will now match the DNA I've apprehended with the scent particles in the atmosphere. Since there is no surrounding trace of the elder's scent. I will follow the child's." **The metal man just looked up into the night sky and started to calculate the distance of travel. He then proceeded to walk backwards from them about ten feet, and with one tremendous energy, he suddenly sprinted forward and jumped off the ground and into the night sky , out of sight, almost as if rocket boosters were attached to his legs.

The ground shook under the aftershock.

"A piece of work eh?" asked one of the soldiers to the Sgt.

"Remind me to kill this Gero guy, when we get back to HQ." replied the Sgt. as he stared into the moonlit sky.

Back at the swamp, a huge bonfire was lighting up the dark atmosphere.

"Ha, ha ,ha ,ha, ha , you were scared Oolong!"

"No I wasn't, I could've cared less if you died, but I needed a way to get out of this forest alive you know!"

"Yeah right!"

Goku was feasting off the carcass of the sea serpent that attacked him and the swamp king earlier. The grateful swamp king laid calmly on the ground next to Goku and Oolong, as Goku greedily gobbled down the ,now dead, threat.

"How'd you get yourself out again?"

"Easy, I just used my power pole to slice his head off from the inside."

"Right, and now you're eating that thing?"

"Wanna try?" asked Goku as he pointed the piece of meat towards Oolong.

"Kid, that thing is slimy, and it lived in a swamp!"

"It _was _slimy, and it _use to_ live in a swamp. Now it's good and living in my stomach!" said Goku, as food parts spewed out his mouth.

"Kid, who taught you table manners?"

"Table what?"

"Hm, point taken." Said Oolong.

"Oolong," said Goku, as he took another bite of the serpent, " I thought you said once you're energy is back you'd try to escape."

"Well, uh yes I did."

"So, isn't yorrrj enerby vak."

"Kid you've got food in your mouth!"

"Oh, sorry," Goku quickly swallowed the meat, while beating his chest.

"Be careful kid or you're gonna choke!"

Goku quickly got up and ran over to the swamp and drank some of the murky waters, to down the meat.

"Aaahh," sighed Goku, "I almost died again Oolong, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,aha,ah!" laughed Goku.

"You never cease to amaze me kid."

"Like I was saying, why don't you just fly away now or something?"

"Kid, it takes me a very long time for my energy to return, without it I can't do anything."

"Wow, it must suck to have your energy!" Chuckled Goku, as he ran over back to the grilled serpent.

"Whew, that was a close one." Whispered Oolong to himself.

"Anyway kid, what are we going to do with the swamp king?"

"We'll just ride on it!"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, when I killed that sea snake he told us he would anything for us, to show us his gratitude."

"Oh, really, I though he was hurt."

"That's what I told him, but he says that he'll heal up pretty fast by tomorrow, besides I gave him some herbal medicine, and bandaged his wounds up with these different crushed plants."

"Yeah, I know, I saw you. How'd you know this stuff?"

"My Grandpa taught me."

"Oh, and he's the one that's missing, right?"

"Yeah, but I'll find him."

"Look kid—uh sorry about your girlfriend back there."

"Oh, Bulma! It's O.K. We'll just find her together too, you're not that bad of a person Oolong, hahahahahahah!" Laughed Goku, as he took another bite of the serpent meat.

Oolong looked down on the ground, blushing.

"You're sure you don't want some, it's really good!"

"No Tarzan! I'm fine, geez!"

"Oh, Oolong, watch it." Goku quickly picked up a flint rock and cut the tight vines off of Oolong.

"Why'd you do that for?"

"I trust you."

"Well, uh – um," hesitated the pig, "just don't do it to anyone else, you hear?"

"O.K." Smiled Goku.

"Well kid, I'm gonna get some shuteye."

"Good night Oolong, I'll just stand watch." Said Goku, as he wiped off the mess on his face.

"You do that."

Oolong plopped down on the grass bed he made from the nearby trees and closed his eyes.

'Oh man how am I gonna do this?' Thought Oolong as he laid down, ' this kid is just too naïve and innocent, I just can't do him like that. But then again I need to worry about myself, not some buffoon I just met. I **need**to complete my task.'

Just as brightly as the moon lighted up the starry sky, so did the sun as it came up over the horizon, penetrating its captivating rays across the desert sands and dunes.

Bulma cringed as she felt the sun's rays hit her eyes from the window of the broken wagon.

"Uh… morning already, thank goodness." She looked over to her side, hoping to see her knight in shining armor from last night.

"Still not here, huh?" Bulma slowly stood up, and brushed herself off.

"Geez, now my jacket's all dirty." Said Bulma, as she walked over to the other side of the sullied wagon.

"Yuck ,this place is disgusting and dark, I better get out of here."

Bulma walked over to the front of the cargo and stumbled upon something in the driver's seat. It was a little pouch. She quickly picked it up and inspected it, and much to her amazement it was her all precious Dragon Radar.

"Yes! Yes! They didn't lose this, oh my goodness! Yes! I can still continue my search! Now I really don't have to worry about that jungle kid and his Grandfather. Although it's kinda sad we've parted ways, he could've probably been really useful back there." Bulma looked around the morning desert, "I really wondered where that other guy went." She said as she jumped off the smashed wagon.

Her boots implanted on the soft sand. " Uh, I hate deserts and hot weather."

"Now let's see the next dragon ball, should be…" She quickly pressed the button on the radar and pinpointed the next dragon ball's location. "Wow, it's actually not that far! Well if I had a motorcycle or something, but… wait, my dinocaps!"

She frantically searched through her pockets for the Capsule Corp. dinocaps. "It's gotta be there somewhere," She quickly ruffled through her jacket pockets, unfortunately to her dismay they were nowhere to be found ,"Great, they stole those too! Geez! They might as well have stolen my underwear too!"

"Oh man, what does it take to make this whole thing much easier."

Not too far though, the stranger from last night was carefully watching the blue haired girl's actions, very carefully.

The man hid behind a huge stone pillar, with his flying cat like creature.

"Lord Yamcha, she's sure to have some goods on her, why don't you just steal it?"

"Puar, for the last time she is a girl!"

"But Yamcha, you've been observing her since last night!"

"I know Puar, she is really a sight to behold, but I'm not gonna let her feminine charm destroy me now." Said the desert bandit, as he slid down against the tall rock pillar.

"Don't worry Yamcha, you'll soon get over it somehow."

"Yeah, I hope you're right, I must not forget my true goal."

"That's right! You must avenge your family!"

"Yeah, you're right." Replied Yamcha, as he stared down at the open bag of stolen goods from last night.

"Puar?" asked Yamcha, as he was reaching for the bag, "What do you think this is?"

The man pulled out the shiny orange orb.

"Well, I don't know, but I bet it may be a fortune!"

"Yeah well last night it was glowing with the other ball, it was really weird."

"Glowing you said?"

"Yeah, it does so once in awhile."

"Like I said Yamcha, keep it! It may help us in our mission."

"Yeah, that stupid dynasty is going to pay for what they did to my family." Said Yamcha sternly, as he gripped the dragon ball tighter.

"Yamcha look! That girl seems to be walking towards our direction!"

"What the?" Yamcha quickly jumped up and proceeded to look from behind the rocks, with his telescope.

"O.K. let me see, this radar says the dragon ball is just about thirty feet down there." Bulma stared down at the distance.

"Oh God, this really sucks! The dragon better give me the most perfect boyfriend ever for this!" She continued to trudge along until she suddenly felt a sudden shock rip through the ground beneath her feet.

"Whoa!" Bulma stumbled and fell on the sands.

"Was that an earthquake?"

She quickly got up and picked up her shades. "At this rate my hair is going to be a mess." She grabbed her long hair and tied it into a short bun. "And this jacket is not helping me at all!"

As she spread her arms to take it off, she felt the black jacket itself being lifted off from her back.

"Whoa, what the? Since when did they have winds this stron—"

The frightened girl was abruptly interrupted hen she turned around to realize a giant sand worm behind her, with her jacket on top of its pink head.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" With one sudden gust Bulma took off running.

The hot sand slowed her escape as she tried to find comfortable footing to run away from the approaching danger.

The sand worm let out a shrilly scream and burrowed itself back down into the sand.

Within a second the forty foot worm reared its ugly head towards her face, as it came out from beneath the sand, right in front of her. Its four small black beady eyes stared down at her. The worm then let out the same spine chilling scream, showing its razor sharp teeth and long skinny blue tongue. The one hundred skinny little legs that decorated its body on both sides vibrated to the ear piercing sound.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, SOMEBODY HELP!"

Bulma fell back, crawling away from the desert monster.

The desert creature lifted its neck and lowered its deadly jaws towards the girl's legs with lightening speed.

Before it could chew on its pretty breakfast, Its mouth was suddenly blocked by a large sword, Yamcha's sword.

"Come on you stupid beast, that's no way.. to .. treat… a… lady, even if she is… food!" With that Yamcha lunged the creature back onto the ground.

The desert worm fell on its back with a resonant thud. It quickly got up and burrowed itself under the ground.

"Don't move!" Yelled Yamcha, as he saw Bulma starting to crawl away.

Yamcha wielded his sword, ready for the monster's assault.

"The Mishoshou Worm is actually blind, it can feel the slightest tremors in the ground, so I just need you to stay still." Explained Yamcha, as he looked out for the worm.

All of a sudden a massive sandpit swiftly formed under the pair.

"Darn it! It's trying to suck us into its mouth, grab on!"

Bulma jumped up and grabbed Yamcha's hand, but to no avail.

The two started to slide down the deep dark sandpit.

"Oh man! It's creating a whirlpool made of this desert's sand to suck us into its mouth!"

"AAAAAHHHHHH! CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING?"

"Well, if I could we still wouldn't be here!"

Bulma looked down to see the Mishoshou Worm's shaver teeth appearing out of the center of the whirlpool like sharp rocks that jut out from dangerous waterfalls.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE, WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Don't let go!"

Yamcha tried to stick the steel saber onto the wall of the drowning sand, he tried to get a better grip, so he could use it to lift himself up and out of there.

"Oh man, this isn't looking good!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT GOOD? YOU BETTER HURRY, WE'RE CLOSE!"

The whirling sand created a profuse amount of debris to kick around Yamcha, blocking his vision. The sharp sand particles proceeded to cut into his skin as the loud noise started to deafen him to Bulma's plea and of his own voice. He tried to look up into the exit, but as they were going down deeper and deeper, it kept getting darker and darker. Making it harder for him or her to see.

The shrilling scream of the monster sent deep vibrations into Bulma's spine, as she started to see its swinging blue tongue protruding from the pit with its dark maw.

"I CAN SEE ITS MOUTH, I CAN SEE ITS MOUTH!" Bulma desperately tried to climb the sand pit, as she let go of Yamcha's hand.

"Nooo!"

Bulma suddenly started to slide down faster into the pit and towards her unpleasant death.

"Nooooo!" Yamcha pulled out his sword from the side of the pit and slid down into it.

He quickly pulled his arm back and threw his sword directly into the worm's mouth.

As Bulma sunk down towards her end, Yamcha's blade quickly descended past her and went straight into the monster's mouth.

The blade whipped around the monster's mouth, as if it were going through a high speed blender.

"_**RRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"**_

Yamcha's sword quickly made work of the desert worm's mouth by cutting up the inside of its mouth.

With that the monster took a deep plunge into the pit, as soon as Bulma slid down into the center of it.

"AAAAAAHHAHAHAH! HELP!HELP!"

The sand walls started to collapse on the duo.

Yamcha jumped down and picked up the petrified girl, and proceeded to leap back up to the top, using the falling sand walls as leverage.

As soon as the pair escaped the pit completely close up beneath them.

Yamcha held Bulma in his arms.

"Uh, not bad for the first time in the desert, eh?"

Bulma looked into the young man's hazel eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She tightly hugged around the boy's neck.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" He quickly dropped her to the ground.

"Ow, what's your problem?"

"N-n-n-n-othing, j-just th-thh—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud scream was heard behind him.

Yamcha turned around to still see the desert monster standing tall behind him.

Blood dripped out of its injured mouth.

"Oh man." He whispered.

"WHAT IS IT STILL DOING ALIVE?" Screamed Bulma.

"Don't worry, I got this!" With that Yamcha ran up towards the tall monster.

The worm lunged its body forward, trying to take a bite out of Yamcha's head. Yamcha just swiftly dodged the worm's various attempts.

Yamcha then suddenly jumped onto the worm's stomach and swung himself to its back. With that he quickly tried to scale the worm's soft body. The giant monster screamed, crashing itself onto the desert sand. It lifted itself up once more and dropped its body down onto the sand, attempting to burry Yamcha down with it.

"Oh no you don't" Yamcha jumped off its back and somersaulted into the air, as he was doing so the desert worm came out from beneath him, trying to snatch him up from mid air.

"WATCH OUT!" Screamed Bulma helplessly.

Yamcha plummeted into its mouth and grabbed onto one of its teeth, he swiftly lifted himself up before it snapped its jaw shut, and propelled himself off of it and slid down on its head and back and onto the desert ground.

"O.K. bro it's all over for you, but it was a good run though." Said Yamcha as he crouched down on the hot ground.

With a sudden burst of speed he ran towards the desert creature.

As he ran towards his target, his body slowly lowered to the ground, soon he was on all fours running towards the worm. His breathing was heavier and deeper, his sweating was profuse, his eyes started to shimmer a wild golden green. The young man's muscles tightened and expanded dramatically. His mouth opened, exposing his clenched teeth. Spurts of growling could be heard emanating from his mouth as he started to slowly raise his body and put his arms back, running on two legs again. He then brought both his arms together as soon as he made contact with the monster's flesh.

"Wolf Fang Fist!"

And with that he ran right through the worm's body causing it to explode into hundreds of pieces throughout the desert sand.

The young man then stood there covered in the creature's blood and flesh, staring at the awestruck girl.

"Sorry you had to see that." He said, as he spat out remains of the creature's flesh from his mouth.

"Y-Y-Y-You're a martial artist."

"Yeah."

"Just try to stay safe now." With that Yamcha started to walk back towards his desert lair.

"W-w-wait, … you can't just leave me here, I'm defenseless!"

Yamcha stood dead in his tracks. His face was in a grimace.

"I have nowhere to rest or eat, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping a little lady out, right?"

"Uh… y-yeah sure… n-n-no problem."

"Good, lead the way."

"Uh… Of course."

"You know if you weren't covered in worm guts, I'd give you a kiss right now."

"Hahahahahhah!" Laughed Yamcha nervously," R-Really?"

"You don't need to be shy, what's your name?"

"Y-Yamcha."

"Name's Bulma, Bulma Briefs."

"That's a nice name, Betty."

"It's Bulma."

"O-oh sorry, I have a like a bad attention span, I mean not that you're boring or anything, neither that I'm stupid or anything! It's just uh…just that I'd better just stop talking."

"You're funny."

"Heh, I don't get that a lot." Smiled Yamcha.

The two continued to talk as they walked along the desert plains, to Yamcha's cave lair.

Meanwhile back in the jungle the Fullmetal Major was trampling through tall bushes and thick shrubs. His hand then collapsed within itself and turned into a long machete. With it he proceeded to cut down the nearby vines and trees that were in his way.

"**The target is nearby." **He said to himself, as his shades started to blink a red color.

"**The DNA sample from the cottage debris matches the scent trail and hair particles on this path. I am very close."**

The robot continued to cut down the nearby trees as he went along. His other hand then suddenly collapsed within itself too and turned into a flamethrower. The android burned down the thick foliage down into black charcoal within seconds.

"**I will obtain my target." **He said as he incinerated the forest, killing the nearby birds and innocent creatures.

"Goku, do you know where we're going?" Asked Oolong clearly annoyed.

"Yeah Oolong, I told you I smelled people in this direction, they must have the dragon ball Bulma was talking about since she was pointing in that direction yesterday, also they might know about Bulma's whereabouts."

"Whatever kid."

The two were riding on the large swamp king. The beast was taking them along their journey. Goku agreed to help it get home, as the creature aided them in their far travels.

Goku hung down long sticks of large berries from atop its head as it fed on the sweet juicy fruits.

"Oolong he loves these wild berries!"

"That's nice, you know this isn't too much of a bad idea, I actually like riding this thing. I feel like I'm riding on a moving mountain or something."

"Pretty cool, eh?" Laughed Goku.

Wild pterodactyls flew above the pair, circling the massive turtle.

"Except I'm not really feeling the giant pterodactyl part, they look like buzzards ready for lunch!"

"Oh, I love those guys, I'd always ride on them for a while back home!" Smiled Goku.

"They don't look too friendly from here!"

"Don't worry, I know how to handle them."

The pterodactyl looked down on the duo and proceeded to dive in towards them.

"HERE THEY COME!" Oolong quickly hid under one of the swamp king's crevices on his shell.

"Hahahahahah, you're funny Oolong," said Goku as he readied himself for the wild bird," I'll be right back Mr. Turtle, just gonna take a little ride from the pterodactyl real quick."

And with that he jumped up and locked onto the pterodactyl's neck.

The creature let out a loud squawk as it swerved around and around.

"Whoa, whoaaa, Oolong it's fun up here!" Screamed Goku, as he hung tightly on the bird's back.

"OOLONG! YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE ANTS FROM HERE!"

The child continued to ride the bird higher and higher. He tried to stand up and balance himself on the giant pterodactyl, as it flew faster.

"Wow the clouds are so beautiful." He whispered to himself, as the pterodactyl flew above the fluffy white mass.

Goku could feel the tremendous calmness and tender wind touching all his senses. It brought about an inner peace in him and caused a warm smile to give way in his face. The sky was so spacious and empty. The boy started to spread his arms out and closed his eyes. It was magical, to him he was flying, and someday he will do it all by himself. He then looked up and saw the stars and more pterodactyls. The boy gave a smirk and proceeded to stand up on the creature's back as the powerful wind blew his hair back.

"Let me see what your friends are about."

With that he hopped off the bird and landed on the nearest pterodactyl.

"Whao, It's OK boy, I'm not gonna hurt you." Laughed the boy.

"OK, let me go see… him!" Goku hopped off and landed on another pterodactyl. The boy continued this stunt, eventually riding on the whole groups' backs. The birds continually tried to swing him off, adding to his enjoyment.

"This is fun!"

"Hahahahhahahaha, I can see the tallest mountain peaks! Whoa ! A village! Just like I said, I _was_ right!"

Goku then hopped of the bird's back as soon as another appeared beneath it. He then jumped off that one when another tried to eat him off its back.

He continued to hop down and maneuver the flight patterns of the different pterodactyls, so he can find his way back down.

"OOOOLLLLOOOOONNNGGG!"

The short pig came out from underneath the shell's crevice and looked up at the ecstatic boy.

"That kid is crazy."

"INCOMING OOLONG! HAHAHAHHAHA!"

The boy then jumped off the pterodactyl at the last minute before landing on the turtle's shell.

"Oolong, Oolong! I saw it, I saw it! The next village!"

"Kid, how do you stay so happy?"

"I don't know, I guess it's easy, like breathing air!" Laughed the boy.

" Apparently," said Oolong, "Anyway what about the village?"

"It's not too far from here, it's just like I said."

"Wow, you are pretty good."

"Yeah, I told you! I can't wait to get there, there must a stock load of food!"

"Kid, you just ate a whole sea serpent last night, how can you be so hungry?"

"That was nothing I could've eaten ten of those! Haahahahahaa!"

"With you, nothing is impossible I guess." Sighed Oolong.

Meanwhile, out in the world's most dangerous and darkest oceans, there was a large cave that settled upon the rocky masses of a minute island. The wind could be heard howling in and out he cavern holes, echoing off the walls causing an eerie feeling.

In the half lit cave stood the Emperor of the Nuukub clan, Pilaf, and behind him sat the large dark Demon King, Lord Piccolo himself.

"She is arriving now Lord Piccolo." Said Pilaf as he came walking down towards the Demon King, from the cave entrance.

"**Hmmm, will her coming here be worth my time Pilaf?" **His sinister and deep voice vibrated the insides of the petite clan leader.

"Of utmost my sire, after all she has release My Benevolence." Said Pilaf as he bowed to the tall green god like figure.

"**And that is all she may be good for you fool." **

"Uh, yes that may be so, sire." Replied the shaken Pilaf.

The helicopters blades were soon heard as the helicopter itself landed outside the cave.

Soon the person Pilaf was talking about came inside the cave entrance.

"Mai, reporting for duty Sir." She was a tall slender female. Her long trench coat covered her to her waist. She had tall leather boats with black tight cargo pants. She had two leather gloves on her hands and a blood red lipstick. Her ebony black hair was tied in a neat bun. Her stoic but beautiful face stood alert as she saluted the small Emperor.

"Mai, what is the current report on the dragon balls?" asked Pilaf.

"Emperor Pilaf, Sir, I do not know the current status of there whereabouts, but the Red Ribbbon Army has released a mechanical man that is after them. If I am able to track down his movements I will be able to track them down quickly."

"**Twelve years, it's been twelve years since my release, and still no sign of the other dragon balls." ** The Demon King picked up the three dragon balls that were in the Red Ribbon Army's HQ twelve years ago, until they were secretly apprehended by "Cadet Mai."

"**Curse the being that has sealed me up for these two hundred eighty years!" **Yelled Piccolo, **" This will never happen again, all those who have learned the way of the martial arts will perish by my hand!"**

"Yes Of course Sire!" Yelled Pilaf, as he and Mai bowed down to the Great Piccolo.

"**After twelve years of healing, my full strength still hasn't returned. That is why I need these dragon balls to restore my youth! My vigor! Without it my destructive power is very limited." **Said the old green monster as he stared into the glowing balls. His elongated head and old wrinkly skin attested to his age and dark wisdom. He had droopy antennas and long elf like ears. His resemblance was that of a witch and a goblin. His sharp yellow teeth protruded from his bold jaws as he spoke. His green yellowish eyes then glared at his two simple servants.

"**But with the state of health that I am in now, I am finally able to produce children, that is why I have ordered you Pilaf to take me here on this island, it is of significant room to house my progeny."** With that he started to stand up, supporting himself on the brown armrest of the stone cut throne. He stood a whopping seven foot eight, staring down at the puny insignificants.

All of a sudden he uttered unintelligible sentences which caused his throat to suddenly engorge.

"**Umpta kali, Sumo Pa, umpta kali, Sumo Pa, Umpta Kali ,Sumo Pa, UMPTA KALI SUMO PA, UMPTA KALI , SUMO P-"**

A massive egg proceeded to ooze out of his mouth, just as a hen lays an egg. The outside clouds started to rumble, as the cavern shook to its core. Thunder and lightning could be seen outside, as it flashed up the old cave.

The giant egg dropped on the ground with a thud.

Pilaf and Mai stood there amazed and shocked, to witness the birth of a child, and not just any mere child but the child of the Lord Piccolo.

The egg then started to crack as it vibrated, giving way to a black slime that oozed out of the cracks.

Piccolo's eyes glowed a shiny red as he stared at the egg, his back was hunched over. His breathing was still heavy, green slime dripped from his open bloody mouth, as he stared at his baby.

Out came a spore of evil. The creature had yellow green scales with the wings of a bat. Its eyes had a shimmer of yellow too. Its long purple tongue came out its mouth showing his razor sharp teeth. Its long red claws decorated his long bony fingers. He had a fish like fin run from the top of his head to his bony tail.

"!"

The creature let out a loud and ear piercing screech as it took in its first breath of fresh human victims, awaiting to be gorged.

"**Tambourine!"**

The scaly creature slowly turned around to face his father.

"**You are my firstborn in over two centuries, I am your Father, and you will do as I say!"**

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"**Tambourine! What is my name?"**

"P..P…EEEEEE..CCOLO!"

"**Yes, now go and hunt my child! My thoughts are linked to you telepathically, whatever I suppose , you will simply carry out! Do you understand?"**

"Y..YEEESSSS!"

With that the evil spore spread its veiny wings and started to flap them wildly, as he lifted himself slowly off the ground.

Pilaf and Mai stared in amazement as the monster flew off and out of the cave ready to carry out his Father's dark will.

"**He is after every known powerful martial artist in this planet."**

"Lord Piccolo, Sire, if your lowly servant may ask, how will the child know if one is a martial artist?" asked Pilaf.

"**Martial artists possess the above average life force of any regular human or creature, my children, just as I are able to sense such life force or energy."**

"Oh, Of course." Responded pilaf.

"**As for the both of you go out and search for the dragon balls, I will only give you two three more days."**

"T-t-t-hree days, sire?"

"**Do you disagree with me Pilaf?" **Asked the monster coldly.

"N-n-no, I just consider it such an honor!"

"**Good, if my newborn are able to complete this task of taking down several martial artists in two days, then you two should really have one, but I'm being generous. Now go."**

The two rushed into the parked helicopter outside the cave entrance.

Mai quickly poured out her thoughts as soon as she started the engine.

"This is madness Emperor Pilaf, there's now way we're going to find four dragon balls, spread out in the world in three days, we've been on this mission for the past twelve years! I just managed to sneak in that stupid army and capture those three orbs and release Lord Piccolo."

"Yes, but Mai—

"No, Emperor Pilaf, that process of infiltrating the Red Ribbon Army alone took me ten years! There's no w—

"MAI!" Screamed the short clan leader, " We are going to do this! And do you know why? Because we will reap an ample of benefits from this mission. Mai don't you see, we are aiding the rightful God of this world. The rewards and blessings will be endless, I will finally rule, at least, a significant portion of this world." Drooled the clan leader, " Besides that mechanical man you talked about, he should do most of the work for us. We'll just swipe the orbs when he's collected them."

"Emperor Pilaf the only reason why I have endured this, is because of you."

"That's right Mai, it was I and my clan that saved you from the extinction of your townspeople. You were only a child when we saved you."

"And I appreciate your gracefulness in bringing me up." Bowed Mai.

"Now go, we haven't much time." Ordered Pilaf.

Slowly the helicopter lifted off the ground as it ascended into the sky and out of sight, searching for the four last dragon balls.


	6. King of the Mountain

**CHAPTER 6**

"So, this is your Father's treasure you say?" Yamcha inspected the mysterious orange ball as it started to glow wildly, causing the stars inside to swim around the fist sized orb.

"Uh yes, it was given to me as a child, and uh now that my Father's passed on I carry it around." Replied Bulma. She really didn't want the man to know of the true story behind the dragon balls, afraid that he may try to keep it from her.

"So what were you doing alone in a desert ?" Asked the bandit.

"I was kidnapped as you can see."

"Yeah well, from your house?"

"No, well I was running after my Father's killer, you see the law enforcement from where I come from is really corrupt, and I think I know who killed my Father and stole his other dragon balls." Lied the sixteen year old.

"Oh O.K. I mean I would see why someone would steal it, it does look real pretty."

"Yeah, well this isn't a bad place you've got here." Said Bulma. She started to walk around the cave lair that the desert bandit made himself. Inside was rocky stalactites and carved bookshelves. There was a huge flat top boulder that was used as a kitchen table. The cave floor was surrounded by intricately designed carpets. Merchandise and gold decorated the cave walls. Ointments, balsam oil, swords, shields, guns every kind of modern technology aided in defining the room's appearance. Three big, candle-lit ,stone chandeliers hung from above the cavern ceiling.

"So you did all this?" Asked Bulma.

"Yup."

"Master, you've done it you've actually done it, you've bought a female in!"

"PUAR!"

The flying blue feline creature swung over to the girl's face and circled around her.

"She's not bad looking either, definitely a keeper!"

"Whoa cool a Blue Garrisol!"

"Yeah," smiled Yamcha, " how'd you know?"

"I study a lot, I thought these guys were extinct." Bulma petted the blue creature, as it purred in mid air.

"How'd you get a hold of it?"

"Uh, well um…I found it."

"Found it? You can't just simply—

"Look what I've got over here!" Interrupted Yamcha.

He pointed out to a golden oriental lamp. Its design was majestic, and its form was flawless. It shined brightly, easily distinguishing itself from his other stolen goods.

"Uh, what is that?"

"I don't know found it in a cave somewhere around here, thought it looked cool."

"Not to get in your business or anything, but I've been meaning to ask you, how'd you get all this?"

"Oh, I'm a bandit, I steal stuff from people who cross this desert." Said Yamcha, as he tried to keep his balance on the tall ladder that hugged the carved out bookshelves.

"Oh, well that's not very nice."

"Yeah well, you've gotta make a living somehow."

"I understand I guess."

"Look, uh-you want something to eat, you must be hungry."

"No, I'm alright I just want to keep searching for my Father's murderer."

"Well the desert's the hottest over here in the morning and afternoon, so we could probably head out in the evening, in the meantime it's best to get your energy up."

"Uh, O.K."

"Besides what's girl like you going to do to your Father's killer?"

"Don't doubt me, I came well prepared."

"Yeah well I can see that", sneered Yamcha, "That worm really wasn't ready for someone like you coming around."

"You won't be either if you don't shut up." Smiled Bulma, " Anyway, I really wouldn't mind you coming along."

"M-me, well I uh—"

"Master! No we can't we—"

Yamcha quickly blocked Puar's mouth and gave out a nervous chuckle.

"Of course, I wouldn't mind."

"Good, evening then, right?"

"Yup."

"So what do you have to eat then?"

"Oh, uh let's see," the young man scrambled over to the stone kitchen and took out a huge four day old carcass of a desert boar from his sack of goodies.

"There you go, pretty rare to find this baby out in the desert. So we're having a delicacy."

"That's the delicacy? Oh boy I'm in trouble!" Bulma quickly ran to the nearest exit, cupping her hands to her mouth, waiting to express her disgust away from the desert bandit. "Blaaaahhhhhh.." She suddenly vomited out of the nearest window in the cave.

"Hey, whoa! It really ain't that bad." Yamcha petted the huge hairy beast with satisfaction.

"Look Oolong we've finally reached the foot of the mountain!"

"W-what happened?" Asked Oolong groggily.

"You fell asleep! We've finally reached the mountain Bulma was talking about! They might know where she is."

"And why would they know that?"

"Well, it doesn't hurt to ask."

"Hm, good point I guess."

"O.K. Mr. Turtle you can climb up now."

"Uh, Goku the mountain trail is too steep and narrow for the swamp king."

"Oh, I think you're right Oolong."

"Aren't I always?"

"Well, you just wait here Mr. Turtle we'll be right back," said Goku, "I'm just gonna ask some people up there if they've seen my friend or Grandfather."

Goku and Oolong hopped off the giant turtle and started their trek on the mountain path.

"See ya Mr. Turtle!"

"Kid, it's not like we aren't gonna see it again, jeez."

"Come on Oolong you're moving too slow!" Laughed Goku, the boy started hopping from rock to rock, getting higher and higher up the narrow path.

"Hey wait up kid! Man these rocks look scary. These canyon walls look like they've got faces on them." Whimpered Oolong.

The pair walked up the steep path going up and up. The gray stone slowly encompassed them as they continued to walk up the dirt path. Soon there were massive stone walls on either side of them, almost as if they were menacing giants just staring at them. The sunlight started to dim and it got darker as the steep mountain walls got higher. The howling of the wind could be heard bouncing off the canyon walls as it caused an eerie feeling to any unfortunate passerby.

"O.K. G-Goku we've been trailing for like t-thirty minutes now, let's t-take a-a breather."

"Already Oolong?" Yelled Goku from a far away branch.

"Kid! I'm no jungle boy you hear!"

"I hear voices Oolong! Up there!"

"O.K. O.K. Kid, jeez I'm coming!"

"Don't worry I'll help you up."

Goku jumped off the dead tree branch and picked up the short pig to his back.

"Watch me get there in no time." Smiled Goku.

Goku squatted down and bounced off the ground with such tremendous force, that it seemed as if the boy was shot out of a hot geyser. Dust and debris arose from the cracked ground as he jumped into the air. He landed on the side of the mountain wall and hopped off from there, causing the wall to tremble. From wall to wall, that's how he did it, he quickly was able to cover a lot of distance in no time, leaving major cracks and crevices behind on the mountain walls.

"WHOA, SLOW DOWN KID, SLOW DOWN! I SAID SLOW DOWN!"

"Not yet Oolong! We're almost there!"

"WELL I FEEL AS IF I'M GONNA FALL ANY MINUTE NOW!"

"Don't worry, falling on the ground doesn't hurt as much as you think!"

"WHAT! I'M TALKING FOR NORMAL BEINGS, SUCH AS MYSELF!"

"I think you're pretty funny! Hahahahahahaha"

"Oolong look, sunlight is starting to come from here! That means we're almost there," the boy looked down below him, "And an abandoned village too! Whoa!"

"KID WHY DON'T WE JUST WALK FROM HERE, PLEASE!"

"Alright!"

Oolong peered below him as Goku started to hop down to the ground. He suddenly caught sight of a saber tooth tiger pouncing on a giant two headed cobra. Oolong quickly lost his eagerness for traveling on foot.

"NEVERMIND! GO UP! GO UP! GO UP! GO UP!"

"What do you mean?"

"GO UP!"

"I can't I'm already going down—"

The duo landed on the cobra's head and fell on the ground nearby.

"Aw, Oolong you have to make up your mind."

"I'm sorry kid, but I didn't invite these two up here!"

"What are you—"

Before he could finish his sentence the cobra quickly snatched Goku by the head with its venomous mouth.

"OH GOD KID! I'M OUTTA HERE! I'LL BE SURE TO TELL YOUR FRIEND AND GRAMPA ABOUT YOUR UNDENIABLE COURAGE!"

Before the pig could take a step further , the menacing saber tooth leapt in front of him, blocking his escape.

"OH NO! PLEASE I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HEARD! BACON IS ABSOLUTELY H-H-H-ORIBBLE!" Cried Oolong.

"GOKU!" Oolong quickly turned around to run away from the tiger.

The giant cobra suddenly landed in front of Oolong.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Wait." The pig quickly realized the reptile was unconscious.

"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The saber tooth leaped at Oolong full speed, charging into the little pig.

"Not today Fangs!" He quickly transformed into a small bat and dodged the tiger's attack by flying above it.

"Well, I'm outta here, I don't have to take care of the kid, thanks to that- wait! The snake it was unconscious CRAP!" The pig quickly reverted back to his original form, dropping to the ground.

Before he could completely turn around the saber tooth was mid air in its attack.

Oolong froze in fear, 'Darn it, I should've just left!' He thought, ' Forget this stupid mission it isn't worth my life!'

The humidity of the creatures mouth wrapped around the pig's head as he crouched down in fear.

"!" The saber tooth let out a cry of pain as its short tail was pulled, and later his whole body tossed out of sight, across the rocky mountain plains.

Oolong slowly raised his head.

There stood Goku with his red pole in hand.

"They weren't very nice." His voice was monotone, stoic.

"Y-yes." Replied Oolong.

Goku stared past Oolong, and into the horizon.

"Oolong, what's a liar?" Asked Goku, calmly.

"What do you mean?" Asked the confused pig.

"I'm asking you." Said the boy as he lowered his gaze to the pig's eyes.

'He must've seen me transformed when I told him I couldn't for a while, darn it, I was hoping he wouldn't notice!' Thought Oolong.

"U-uh well you see Goku, there's a white lie, and then there's a lie." Said Oolong as he picked himself up slowly, " White lies are good lies." Oolong slowly went in his pocket to retrieve the weapon.

"Oh O.K.!" Exclaimed Goku.

"Huh?"

"That's the way my Grampa acted whenever he'd asked a question!" Laughed Goku.

"Oh, Heh,heh," smiled Oolong nervously," why'd you ask me that question?" He quickly stuff the weapon in his pocket.

"Nah, I saw you transform and you said you couldn't so you're a liar! Admit it you like me and want to hang around more, admit it , admit it, admit it!" Taunted the child.

"OK, OK, I guess I'm cool with you kid, that's all."

"Yeeeaahh! You're my full friend now Oolong!"

"Come on the village is up there, I see the smoke!"

Goku quickly grabbed Oolong and ran ahead towards the billowing smoke.

"W-W-wait kid, WAIT!"

Within twenty minutes the pair reached the entrance to the mountain village up ahead.

"Come on Oolong, don't make me drag you."

"K-kid, w-w-what are you a-a m-machine?"

The duo continued to trek the steep mountain path. Minutes passed by as they continually went up the rocky road. Boulders and strange rock formations started to populate their path as they continued on going up. The oxygen was less, the air was getting hotter and hotter as they climbed up further. The fluctuating atmosphere didn't affect Goku at all, he kept climbing the mountain as if he were just strolling at a sunset beach.

"You're breathing too hard for no reason." Said Goku.

"NO REASON! KID WE RAN UP A MOUNTAIN IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE!"

"Well back at home I had to rock climb this one mountain a hundred times, back and forth!"

"Are you sure you weren't raised in a mental asylum?"

"I don't know, I just grew up with my Grampa!"

"And you're looking for him, you're obviously a glutton for punishment."

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

A loud voice boomed through the air, stopping the two dead in their tracks.

"WHO GOES THERE?"

"Goku!" screamed the boy smiling.

"You idiot! Don't answer just run!"

The pig tried to run away, but to no avail, Goku already had him by the collar of his shirt.

"My name is Goku, and I have here a friend named Oolong!"

"Kid stop it!"

"Stop what? He asked me-"

Before he could finish his explanation a vibrating thud was felt by Goku and the frightened pig.

The two turned to face three fierce warriors.

One was as a knight on a black horse with a helmet, the other one was a portly warrior with a huge sword and an old vikings' helmet. He had a long brown beard. The third fighter was not human, but a grayish blue beast with a massive set of jaws and razor sharp teeth, that jutted out everywhere. He carried one large sword and a battle axe. All of them were in clad armor.

"Who do you say goes there?" Asked the big boned warrior.

"Name's Goku."

"Goku, eh?" The warrior gave out a dirty smirk which exposed his gully mouth and missing teeth, saliva oozed from his lips as he spoke to the boy.

"Goku… by what authority do you come here?"

"Umm… I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but I came to check if you've guys seen a blue haired girl and a strong old man."

"Who do you think we are?" Yelled the warrior.

"I don't know I just met you." Smiled the boy.

"You wanna be smart, eh?"

The huge warrior charged towards Goku's direction letting out a fearsome battle cry.

"Heh." Smiled the boy, as he took out his Grandfather's power pole.

The man swung his sword across so as to cut into the boy's side, but missed when Goku jumped up.

"What the? Where'd he go!" Screamed the mountain warrior.

"Over here."

The man turned to see the boy standing atop his blade with one foot crossing his leg. Goku held his red staff with arms crossed.

"This is perfect balance." Smiled the boy.

"Why you!" He quickly shook the kid off his sword and swung it down to aim right atop his skull.

Goku swiftly swung his staff up to block the oncoming assault.

"GGGRRRRRRR…" The man struggled to cut through the red staff and into the boy's head.

"You can't cut this silly, it's too tough, hahhahahahahahaha…" Laughed Goku.

Goku pushed the man back with his pole and quickly went into a headstand.

The burly warrior swiftly swiped the sword down to cut in between the boy's legs, but to no avail, Goku held the saber between his feet and prevented the blade from going down any further. The man tried to pull out his sword, but his brute strength did him no good against the boy's exceptional martial art skills.

"COME ON BOY FIGHT ME!" Screamed the warrior.

"O.K.," smiled Goku, " One fight coming up!" With that he lifted the man and his sword up ,with his bare feet, using his torso to levitate the warrior's body completely off the ground, and with one jerking movement he flipped the big man over him causing him to land ten feet away from his other comrades.

The moment Goku stood up from his headstand, the next warrior approached him, with his horse, swiping down his blade to cut the boy's head off. Goku just ducked the attack and lifted his pole up to put atop of the swinging blade, which he used to lift himself up and do a headstand on the side of the heavy blade, with the pole in grip.

The knight could barely register his shock when he realized that the boy was standing upside down on his staff, atop his sword. Before the knight could react Goku pushed himself off the sword and whacked the knight with the red staff, knocking him off the horse.

"Hahahhahaha, this is fun!" Laughed the boy.

Goku stood on the horse and flipped off its back landing on the ground. Not a second too late the third warrior came charging at him with the sword and battle axe at hand. The monstrous looking warrior slashed and waved his weapons towards Goku, the poor creature was wasting precious energy, for the boy just duck and jumped over the blinding speeds of the monster's swinging attacks.

"QUIT MOVING CRETIN!" Screamed the monster, as he got more ferocious with this attacks.

"You—know—you—could—try—working…WHOA! -almost got me," screamed Goku as he lowered his head in time for the close swing, the boy continued to speak as he dodged the attacks, " as I was -saying you-can -try-working—at –staying calm-and -actually focus."

While he was dodging the grotesque fighter, the two other warriors rose up and came running towards the boy. The two warriors quickly lowered their sword towards Goku as he tried to dodge his current assailant's attacks.

CLANG! The clash of metal weaponry could be heard as they all landed atop the boy's red pole.

"If I let go, you will all die." Said Goku sternly, "so I suggest you all just give up."

"FOOL WE WILL NEVER GIVE IN! FOR WE PROTECT THE VILLAGE UP AHEAD, WE FIGHT FOR THE OX KING!"

As soon as they were about to make their next move, Oolong came running towards them.

"Wait!" Screamed Oolong.

The three warriors turned around to face the little pig, while holding the boy down in the middle with their weapons.

"Ox King you say?"

"Yes." Growled the burly warrior.

"So, then if I'm not mistaken this is… Fire Mountain?"

"Exactly."

"Yipes!" Yelped Oolong, "Wow, talk about the wrong place at the wrong time, Well I'm outta here."

"Wait pig! You won't escape here easily, once you've trespassed here how would we know if you won't come back again and try to attack us with more reinforcements?"

"Look buddy we meant no harm, really!"

"Oh yeah?" The burly warrior lifted his sword up, getting ready to impale the frightened piglet head on.

Goku quickly darted his eyes towards Oolong's direction. The boy was still hunkered down by the two other warriors who were pressing down their weapons on him.

With one swift motion Goku lifted his pole up and twisted it, catching the fighters' weapons in his staff and whipping it out their hands, followed by a headstand kick to the chest of the beastly fighter and a hard punch to the knight's gut.

The two warriors collapsed with their hands to their abdomens.

"Oolong!" Screamed the boy as he ran towards the scared pig.

"Power Pole Extend!" Goku's crimson staff vibrated in his hand and shot off with the force of a cannonball towards the big warrior.

The end of the staff quickly struck the charging warrior directly on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.

"Got him!" Sighed Goku as he ran towards Oolong.

"Oolong are you alright?"

"Yeah kid thanks, now we're in big trouble." Said Oolong, as he stared at the unconscious warriors lying motionless on the ground.

"That's O.K. If they want more, I've got an endless supply." Said Goku as he spun his staff and placed it on his back.

"Come on, we have to ask the villagers if they've seen Bulma."

"Kid, what are the chances we're gonna find anybody that knows what you're talking about."

Goku just ignored Oolong and kept walking towards the nearby village.

"Kid it's starting to get dark, you know how I feel about that."

The howling of wolves could be heard bouncing off the mountain walls, as the moon started to illuminate the dark mountain path. The pair kept walking down the rocky road. Slowly the sunlight disappeared completely from the horizon, taking away the mesmerizing sunset with it. The stars proceeded to take the sky, front and center, showing off its luminescence to the world down below.

"The stars look amazing Oolong."

"Yeah whatever kid, but uh ,is it me or is the sun setting in the wrong direction?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is-"

"Oh look Oolong! A lighting creature! Hahahahahaha!" Interrupted Goku.

"Never mind, what I was about to say was of no importance anyway." Oolong sighed to himself.

"What is it called Oolong?"

The furry creature floated above them, as its dragonfly like wings kept it abuzz.

The little critter looked like a toad covered in short green grass, it also had six little paws, and a thick tail. Its innocent black eyes stared down at the duo, as its antennae flickered the green fluorescent light.

"That's a foolarygust."

"A foolar—wha?" Asked Goku as he played with the little furry creature, "It's as big as my fist Oolong!"

"A foolarygust, it's a creature that flies around and feeds off the flames of a fire."

"It eats fire!"

"Yeah, but that's what's funny, I don't see any—wait, those warriors didn't they say-"

"OOLONG! COME SEE THIS!" Yelled Goku from a distance.

"What!" Yelled the pig, he hated being frightened like that, he had enough close calls for one day, he thought.

Oolong stood in shock as he ran up to the end of their path and up a steep cliff. A gigantic bonfire burned in the backdrop of the village below them. The searing flames turned the night sky of the village into an eerie afternoon.

"That's a huge fire! It looks like a volcano erupted here! That's what's probably been causing the smoke from afar!"

"Kid, that's right! Those warriors called this place Fire Mountain, the mountain of the Ox King! We have to go! The Ox King is a merciless killer. They say he's some sort of a demonic warrior that goes traveling to different lands and laying waste to numerous civilizations. You see, Fire Mountain is his base of operation! If he finds us here we're dead!"

"But why would he burn his own castle?" asked Goku, as he started to sweat from the heat of the flames.

"The question is, what are _we_ still doing here?"

"I hear might still be people down there!"

"Hey kid where you're—"

Before Oolong could finish his sentence the boy skidded down the mountain cliff and into the blazing village.

"KID, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?"

"I don't think Oolong, I just do what I _know_ is right!"

"Smart aleck, now I guess I have to follow him, aw geez, I hate my life."

"Helloooo, is anybody here?" Screamed Goku.

The smoldering inferno created a din that almost suffocated the child's cry to help anyone nearby.

"Anybodyyy ! Anyone!"

"Kid we can't stay here too long." Oolong looked around at the abandoned houses, that decorated the cluttered street corners. The road was covered in cobblestone and garbage.

"Helllloooooo!"

"Seriously kid we have to go, Bulma isn't obviously here!"

The surrounding smoke made it hard for the both of them to breathe. The intense heat made it hard to stop sweating. Even the soles of their feet felt the staggering temperature that rubbed off on the stone ground.

"I'm like melting here kid, come on!"

Before Goku could respond a loud voice screamed out from behind them.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS STILL DOING HERE?"

Goku and Oolong turned around to see a lady and a child in her arms.

"Ma'am we've come here to help anyone still here!" Yelled Goku.

"I don't need any help, you two have to leave now!"

"What happened over here?"

"Kid see, even she said we have to go! Now come on!"

"Don't you know, the Ox King! He is spreading his wrath all over the village!" Screamed the woman.

"Why did he do this to his own village?" Asked Goku.

"I have no time for your questions child I have to leave! May the Gods be with you!"

"Well, have you seen a blue hair person around here anywhere, he's a GIRL!" Screamed Goku, as the woman ran away disappearing from before them.

"OK Oolong I guess we can go now," Goku turned around to look for Oolong, " Oolong? Oolong? Where are you? Oolong!"

"OOLONG!"

No sooner did Goku call out his name, did he suddenly feel the earth quake underneath his feet.

The boy slowly turned around to face an eight foot tall man with a massive weight. The warrior held an ax in his hand and had some sort of a copper helmet. The huge man stood in the entrance of a nearby doorway. He held the big ax in his hand with the skull of a person on the bottom. Blood decorated the room in which he was in, The sinister looking man sneered at the boy, glaring at him with some sort of glowing red eyes.

"HMMM, ANOTHER ONE I'VE LEFT BEHIND, EH?" Growled the menacing figure.

"What'd you do with my friend Oolong?"

"AH, THE PIG HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HE DIDN'T TASTE TOO BAD BOY!"

"You WHAT?"

"SO WHAT IF I ATE HIM? YOU'RE ON MY TERRITORY SHEPERD BOY!"

The enormous man lifted his giant ax and aimed it at the boy.

"NOW! I HAVEN'T EATEN IN DAYS, AND ALL THIS KILLING IS MAKING ME A LITTLE HUNGRY, SO DON'T THINK I'D HESITATE TO EAT A SMALL PERSON LIKE YOU!"

" No you didn't! You didn't eat Oolong!" Goku quickly pulled out his staff and started to charge the giant.

"FOOL!"

The giant warrior threw his axe towards the boy, but Goku just jumped up and hopped off the flying weapon and went in to impale the massive threat standing before him.

The warrior quickly pulled out two swords and blocked Goku's assault.

Goku fell back down on his feet and swiftly swung his extended pole to trip up the tall adversary, who was ready to stab him head on.

The big man tripped over but stuck his right sword to the ground which kept his balance, and used his left sword to jab it straight at the boy's head, between his eyes.

Goku just ducked it by bending completely backwards, and quickly swinging his planted feet onto the blade of the sword. He was now on a headstand, with his feet latched onto to the enemy's sword.

"WHY YOU!"

Goku lifted his hands up, hanging off the sword by his feet, he proceeded to use his free hands to extend the red staff hard into the giant's stomach, causing it to flinch in pain.

"WAIT A M-M-MINUTE BOY, THAT IS NO ORDINARY STICK!" Growled the brute.

"I don't care! Give me back Oolong!"

"NO REALLY, D-D-DO YOU K-KNOW… GOHAN?"

"Huh?" Goku fell off the warrior's sword by surprise.

The red staff slowly retracted back to its original size.

"THAT STAFF ,THAT'S THE NYOBOI."

"That's it, I couldn't remember what Grandpa called it, but _that's_ what it was." Said the boy to himself, as he stared down at the red stick, " How do you know about Grampa!"

"GRANDPA! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"Gohan is my Grandfather, what do you know of him? Did you take him!"

"TAKE HIM? GRANDPA! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH! SO GOHAN HAS A GRANDSON NOW, WELL ALL MY DAYS! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!" Laughed the giant heartily.

"What's so funny?" Yelled Goku. He pulled out his staff out, ready for another round.

"WELL BOY, ME AND YOUR GRANDFATHER GREW UP TOGETHER, I KNOW HIM VERY WELL! HE WAS MY TRAINING PARTNER!"

"Training partner?" Asked Goku confusingly.

"YES, WE BOTH TRAINED UNDER THE VENERABLE MUTEN ROSHI!"

"You mean _the_ Master Roshi?"

"YES! HAHAHAHAHHAH!" The man's laughter shook every foundation on the ground. The little huts surrounding the vicinity crumbled under the great strength of his laughter.

"I AM GYO MAO, THE OX KING!"

"The Ox King! So you're the one that caused all this destruction! What for?"

"I SEE! I DID CAUSE QUITE A BIT OF MESS!"

"Well? Why'd you do it?"

" WHY YOU ASK, WELL BOY I AM JUST EXPRESSING WHAT I FEEL INSIDE, I'M VERY, VERY ANGRY THAT IS ALL."

"What are you so mad at? So as for you to cause all this senseless destruction?"

"MY DAUGHTER BOY! MY LITTLE GIRL, WHERE IS SHE?"

"Your daughter?" Asked Goku perplexed, " What do you mean?"

"MY LITTLE GIRL SHE'S GONE!" With that, the giant warrior slammed his sword into the ground causing a massive fault to appear on the surface.

"Whoa!" Screamed Goku as he jumped up to dodge the earth splitting shock.

"Well destroying your own city won't bring her back!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE HERE KIDNAPPED HER!"

"Well you burned up like half the city, she's probably dead now !" Screamed Goku.

"HOW DARE YOU BOY !"

The Ox King swung his blade towards Goku's abdomen, but the boy quickly blocked the assault with his nyoboi.

"I COULD FINISH YOU OFF HERE, BUT YOU ARE THE GRANDSON OF GOHAN, MY BELOVED COMPANION."

"W-Where is she?" Asked Goku as he strained to keep the sword from going any further.

" WHAT IS IT TO YOU BOY?"

"I'll help you find her… since you are my Grampa's friend I'll do what he would've done if he were here… so do you have any clue where she is?"

The Ox King released his sword against the boy's staff.

" I DO HAVE ONE CAPTIVE THAT HAS A CLUE OF HER WHEREABOUTS, BUT NO MATTER WHAT I DO HE JUST WON'T TALK."

"Well lead me to him, but I'll only help you also, if you tell where Oolong is."

"IT'S A DEAL BOY…FOLLOW ME."

Ox King Gyo Mao turned around and slowly walked towards the burning mountain atop.

As the pair walked passed the decimated houses decorating the village, the Ox King turned around to face the boy.

"CHILD I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT YOU, I TRUST YOU WILL FIND MY DAUGHTER." With that the Ox King clapped his hands twice and stared into the boy's eyes.

No sooner did he clap, little white stars begin to appear and collect themselves together right in front of the Ox King. The white stars started to form a shape as they appeared one atop the other. Slowly a white bald flying creature appeared before Goku. He looked like a goblin on bird wings. The creature had a lazy smile and eyes. His long arms dangled off his shoulders. His pointy ears shook as he gave out a little chuckle, revealing his buck teeth. His lizard like tail swung slowly as he floated himself above the ground.

"THIS IS PORUPOI, HE WAS GIVEN TO ME BY THE GREAT MUTEN ROSHI MANY YEARS AGO. HE HAS YOUR FRIEND," The Ox King stared at the creature and gave it a nod, "YOU CAN GIVE THE LITTLE PIGLET BACK NOW PORUPOI."

The white creature gave out a low groan and proceeded to rub its hands vigorously. As it pulled its hands apart a luminescent bubble formed around it as it revealed a miniature sized Oolong. The little pig was beating against the bubble's wall as it got bigger.

"YOU CAN RELEASE HIM PORUPOI."

"MMMMMmmmmm" Groaned the flying monster.

The creature's eyes glowed a bright white and popped the bubble.

"Aaaaaahh!" Oolong fell down with a thump.

"That was insane! What in the world? That thing just swiped down and kidnapped me! I didn't even hear it coming!"

"Oolong! You're safe!" Exclaimed Goku, as he ran towards him to hug him.

"Let go of me kid! You're killing me! You should've been grabbing me like this when that thing came around!"

"BOY, I WILL SHOW YOU TO THE CAPTIVE NOW, HE MAY PROVIDE YOU WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION."

"O.K."

The foursome then walked towards the burning mountain up to the Ox King's castle.

"THE INTENSE HEAT MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU SPINELESS CREATURES SO PORUPOI WILL KINDLY SURROUND YOU GUYS IN A PROTECTIVE BUBBBLE AS YOU WALK UP TO MY CASTLE."

With that Porupoi surrounded Oolong and Goku in a shiny bubble as they walked up the steps of the castle.

"Man I can still feel the heat even with this bubble thing wrapped around us!" Said Oolong.

As Goku and Oolong walked up the steps, sizzling sounds could be heard as Goku pressed the soles of his shoes against the burning stone steps. Walls of tall fire surrounded them on this side and that. Oolong started to sweat through his shirt as they continued to walk up the never ending inferno.

"This—is—crazy, even with this stupid bubble-I still c-c-an't breathe in this heat." Muttered Oolong.

"You said that already." Replied Goku.

"Ain't nobody asked you kid! Now quiet before you give me a heatstroke!'

"MMMPPPAAA!" A huge bubble suddenly went inside the protective dome and slammed the pig hard, on the back of his head.

"OWW! What'd you do that for?" Screamed Oolong as he turned around to look at Porupoi.

The white creature giggled as it covered its mouth. It then proceeded to make hand gestures, so as to mock Oolong's ongoing rant about the intense heat.

"QUIET PIG." Bellowed the Ox King.

"It wasn't me it was-"

"MMMMPPAAA!"

"OOOWWWW! STOP IT!" Yelled Oolong as he vigorously rubbed the back of his head.

"Hahahahahhahahah!" Laughed Goku.

"PIG! WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"

"It wasn't me it was that thing!"

"YOU DARE PUT YOUR MISTAKES ON ANOTHER INNOCENT CREATURE!"

"Well if you would just turn around and—"

Porupoi started to blow another bubble towards Oolong when the Ox King slowly started turn around.

"See, see it's blowing another one!"

The king turned around to see nothing but the flying creature peacefully hovering above them in circles, innocently clasping its hands together.

"IF YOU WEREN'T THE BOY'S FRIEND, YOU WOULD'VE DEFINITELY BEEN ON MY MENU TONIGHT, ONE MORE OUT OF YOU AND THE WHOLE DEAL'S OFF."

"Quiet Oolong, don't mess this up." Said Goku.

"Et tu Brutus?" Grunted Oolong.

"WE HAVE ARRIVED IN FRONT OF MY DOORS." With that the

Ox King pushed open the huge hot iron doors with his bare hands.

They all walked in as they started in amazement at the beauty of the

Ox King's castle. Chandeliers and exotic masonry of every kind dressed the magnificent and grandiose infrastructure.

"Wow, not bad." Said Oolong as he gawked at the scarlet curtains and red satin carpets.

Gold columns and glass chandeliers. Marble statues of gargoyles and political figures, roses and animals. The ceiling reached as far up as the eye can see. There was a strange tranquility that surrounded the castle's atmosphere, unlike what resided on the cold outside world.

The group walked up the flight of stairs that circled the huge statue of the Ox king in the entrance of the castle. They walked up the stairs and walked down another corridor. Soon they went behind a wooden door of rare acacia wood, over laid with gold. They walked in and saw another hallway decorated with jewels all over the palace walls. Onyx stones, bdellyium stones, topaz, opals and diamonds. They continued on walking passing a dining room, then ten more dining rooms. They took another flight of stairs, then proceeded to go down, went up again, then down, around and in , out and about, beauty surrounded them everywhere, money and riches perambulated about the castle, enriching and awakening every sense one is capable of and beyond. They then walked downstairs and turned right and left about ten times before they took another set of stone steps down. The beauty of the castle slowly transformed into a dark eerie atmosphere as they got closer to the dungeons.

"DON'T FOOL YOURSELVES THE FARTHER DOWN YOU GO, THE HOTTER IT IS! AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!" Laughed the Ox King, as he finally started to show signs of perspiration.

The group walked down a dark corridor and went downstairs again. They then approached a huge door made of oak. The Ox King took out a set of keys and unlocked the giant doors. As the massive doors let out a loud creaking sound it revealed behind it , other doors that encased the captives and prisoners of war and spoil.

"Oh man it is hot!" Gasped Goku.

"I TOLD YOU IF YOU WEREN'T IN THAT BUBBLE YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF IN A HOT OVEN! AHAHAHHAHAHAHHA!"

"I don't get it, why doesn't cloth or wood burn up here, if it's so hot?" Asked Oolong.

"THEY ARE COVERED IN A PROTECTIVE LAYER OF UENUM. IT'S ONLY FOUND IN THE ISLANDS OF OSENIMIA, THE ISLANDS OF THE FIRE GOD."

"Interesting, so you too, must be covered in- "

"NONSENSE! " Bellowed the Ox King.

"Oh, uh well—uh sorry." Said Oolong, as he lowered his head.

"HERE IT IS ,THIS IS HIS CELL." The group stopped walking and stood in front the prison door. The Ox King unlocked the wooden door and exposed a chained man behind giant iron bars.

"PRISONER YOU HAVE A VISITOR!"

The bald headed man didn't look up, but sat cross legged with his head down.

"Whoa, won't the heat kill him too?" Asked Oolong.

"HE TOO IS NOT AFFECTED BY IT, HE IS A MIGHTY ONE. PRISONER I SAY LOOK UP YOU HAVE A VISITOR! IT IS A BOY!"

The imprisoned man slowly looked up and stared into Goku's eyes as the boy approached the iron bars.

The man's face turned into shock as soon as he caught sight of the boy.

"I-I-It's y-y-you, the boy t-the boy, Where are they?"

"Where is what?" Asked Goku confusingly.

"The balls! The Dragon Balls!"

As soon as the stranger asked that, a third eye that rested itself atop his two eyes suddenly popped open and stared fiercely into the boy, sending a vibrating shock down Goku's spine.

"Where is it , where are the **Dragon Balls?"**


	7. Show and Tell

**CHAPTER 7**

"Come on we have a lot of distance to cover if you want to get their in time."

"Coming, coming." Said Bulma as she fixed her backpack and hopped on the desert rider.

"Alright, here we go!" Exclaimed Pu'ar.

"To South City, right?"

"Yup, that's what the radar indicated. My father's murderer stole the rest of his dragon balls, and whatever my radar picks up, this will give out the killer's location." Lied Bulma.

Yamcha revved the engine of the desert rider and took off with sheer speed, disappearing from his cavern lair. The machine had no wheels, it just hovered above the desert sands, riding past the sand dunes. It had a seat on the side for Bulma as she held on to Pu'ar. Minutes passed by as the sky started to turn darker, nightfall steadily setting in.

"You've been really quiet for the past thirty minutes, anything wrong?" asked Yamcha, as he rode the desert rider.

"No, not really, it's just that… I was thinking of someone." Replied Bulma.

"Who is the mystery man?" Asked Yamcha.

"It's this little kid," smiled Bulma, " I lost him along the way, he was kinda cool, strange, but… cool nonetheless."

"What's his name?"

"I think it was…G-G- Gokooa or Go- Goku, it was Goku!"

"Goku? That sounds very familiar."

"D-Did you know him?"

"I don't think so, where'd he live?"

"I don't know, on this jungle mountain somewhere, next to the

Gibraltar Mountains."

"Are you sure?" Asked Yamcha.

"Yeah, do you remember him or something?"

"No, no it's just that I know of a martial arts master that lives in the jungle mountains next to the Gibraltars… were the mountains called Paozu?"

"I-I think so I'm not sure."

"Hmmm, that name really does ring a bell for some reason, Goku, eh?"

"Yeah, boy I guess he sure gets around eh?"

"N-no unless, wait a minute you said it was a boy, so did he have a Father , Grandfather or something?" Asked Yamcha as he looked back at her.

"Well, he did ask me if I saw his Grandfather or something."

"Did you get his Grandfather's name?"

"No, if I did, I forgot. I could barely remember the boy's name."

Yamcha turned around and stared deep into the desert horizon.

' It can't be,' he thought to himself, ' If what I'm thinking is correct, then that means… bigger things are at work, bigger than I could ever imagine.'

Seventy miles away in South City, the sound of skycars and automobiles filled the city skyline. Neon lights lit up the town, as busy men and women walked passed one another going on with their nightly business. Drug dealers and women selling their bodies, nightclubs and drunkards painted the usual city scene.

In the center of the bustling hustle was the city's main police station and municipal building. It was busy more than usual as reports of unusual murders came flooding in the police station, keeping detectives and investigators on their toes, constantly.

"We have another chief!" Screamed a nearby police officer.

"WHAT? What's going on ?"

The fat man ran through the busy crowd and reporters and grabbed the report from the officer.

"Another one." Said the chief sternly as he stared at the report.

"Sir, what can you say about these mysterious murders that are happening all over the city at an unprecedented rate?" Asked the reporters.

The paparazzi continued their relentless attack on the Chief Officer.

"What do you say about all these murders involving only martial artists?"

"Do you think there is a sadistic serial killer on the loose, sir?"

"Please," said another officer, " the chief cannot answer any questions right now, as far as we are concerned we are all still investigating on these horrible murders, our hearts go out to their family and friends, now please we cannot answer anymore questions, we need to go back and solve this case."

"Wait!" Yelled the Chief Officer, " I would like to say one more thing, if whomever is committing these atrocious murders, is watching this right now, we will look for you and we'll find you and bring you to absolute justice!"

With that the Chief left the room, while being followed by eager reporters like flies buzzing around a carcass.

"Sir!"

"Mr. Penderbilt!"

"Sir! Sir! We still have questions!"

"Sir!"

Outside the police station a certain hobo hobbled through the crowd muttering to himself. He carried the newspaper with him, reading the disturbing headlines.

"Martial Artist Die by the Hundreds in One Day…hmmm." The old man took a bite out of his sandwich as he walked through the crowd in his mocha colored trench coat and hat.

"Heheheeeheheee," he laughed to himself, " It ain't what it use to be anymore, eh?"

The old man continued reading the article, "Dojos have been targeted and different temples throughout South and nearby cities. The number of deaths seems to now culminate from South City, causing many martial arts academies to shut down and disperse. The gruesome murders are all left behind with the same mark carved out on their chests, which reads: Devil."

The old man suddenly stopped and held the sandwich in his mouth.

"Devil." He whispered to himself.

"Hmm, well looks like some prankster is pulling some dirty tricks." Said the old man as he resumed his walking. "Heheeeheeehee, kids." He nodded.

The old man continued to push through the busy throng as he tried to get to the subway.

"Excuse me, coming through." The old fellow pushed through the crowd, as soon as a huge mob surrounded him he took the opportunity.

"Hey! What the—"

"Whoa!"

"Who did that!—"

"Heeeheheeehhee" Laughed the old guy to himself, as he stuffed the sandwich in his mouth.

"Who did that?" All the women in the crowd turned around to touch their butts, they could've sworn someone was there just touching them.

As the old man walked on ahead, he could hear the sounds of slaps going across different guys' faces.

'Score!' thought the old fella as he smiled to himself swinging eight different colored panties. "Nothing like the city." He said. If only his dark sunglasses didn't cover the joy behind his eyes.

The voice of a poor guitarist could be heard echoing through the street corners of the city, "Beeeeware of the Devil, ladies and gentlemen he's baaaackkk with a fiery fuuurryyy! O I say beeewaare of the Devil, cause he's baaaack with a vengeeeance."

The old man climbed down onto to the subway and threw the newspaper and sandwich wrapper into the garbage. Three other hobos sat on the floor carrying an end of the world sign on their stomachs, with the Devil's insignia on their backs. The old man just stared at them and kept on walking.

He stood along the subway track awaiting the next train. The elderly man stood their stroking his long white beard, and just gazed at the graffiti stained wall ahead.

The subway train could be heard from a distance, as it pulled up its lights shined brightly down the railway. Its loud noise surrounded the vicinity.

As the elderly got ready to approach the train, a tall figure climbed down the stairs of the subway. It wore a long black trench coat with an oversized hood and scarf. Its eyes were covered in brown sunglasses.

The tall figure stood a foot taller than anyone in the subway, making him easily distinguishable. The figure walked about the subway just walking through everyone and bumping into them rudely.

"Hey watch it man!"

"Watch your step!"

"What's your malfunction dude!"

The figure ignored the complaints and just continued circling around its environment.

The elderly man walked towards the open door of the subway train as it stopped. As he entered the train, so did everyone else. The doors of the train started to close, when all of a sudden a large hand stopped it from going any further. The tall figure forced itself in the train just as soon as it was about to leave. With one push he forced himself in the car.

"Hey man, watch it! Geez people!" Said one guy, as the tall figure bumped into him.

The elevated man didn't say anything, he just sat in his seat quietly, after staring at the guy.

"You better had sit down, you really wouldn't want to start nothing with me, ahahahahhaha!" The man laughed with his other buddies that were standing around him.

The old man just snickered and laid his head back. He tilted his hat and just drifted off to sleep, stuffing his hands into his pocket, satisfied with today's underwear catch.

"I think we can take a rest stop here." Said Yamcha.

He looked behind him to see the girl and Puar asleep.

"Hmph, they deserve it." He said to himself.

Yamcha approached a nearby village and entered into the city square. The village was surrounded by fat little bald men with long beards and big noses.

"Great a dwarf town." Sighed Yamcha.

Yamcha slowly parked the desert rider in the center and jumped off the vehicle.

"Get outta you long-legged freak!" Yelled one dwarf as he threw a rock at Yamcha.

"Whoa, whoa relax, I just came in for a rest stop, an inn, do you any hotels around here in which we can just rest in for the night?" asked Yamcha as he covered his face with his arms.

"We don't got place for people like you!" Screamed another dwarf as he picked up a handful of pebbles and hurled it at the desert rider.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, watch it bro! This is the XG-276 Desert Storm! You scratch it ! I scratch your butt!"

"Give me your best shot!"

"Y'all always bringing trouble coming around here!" Yelled the dwarves, as they slowly gathered around Yamcha and company.

"What's going on?" Yawned Bulma.

"Nothing, just relax, I'm trying to get us a place to stay in." Yamcha quickly pulled out his sword as he stood in a defensive position, ready for one of the dwarves to slip up.

"Lord Yamcha! This isn't good these dwarves are really violent." Said Pu'ar as she started to wake up.

The diminutive figures approached Yamcha with clubs and all, preparing to attack. They stared down at the group, with anger seething through their eyes.

"Oh man! These guys don't look friendly Yamcha!" Screamed Bulma.

"Don't worry, they won't look like anything when I'm through with them." Yamch twirled the saber in his hand.

"Yamcha they're coming up behind me!" Screamed Bulma.

Yamcha's pupil quickly dilated as his nose twitched from their scent. His teeth showed as he let out a low growl. With one swift movement from his right hand he swung his sword out sending out a huge gust of wind which pushed the angry killer mob back twenty feet into the walls of the different shops surrounding the square.

Yamcha spun the sword in his hand as he walked towards the dwarves.

"Not too far from here, there lives a beast in the Mishoshou Desert, legend says it comes out and feasts only in the night of the full moon, unfortunately tonight isn't the full moon, but… **I don't care **_**I'm still hungry." **_Said Yamcha, as he salivated profusely from the corners of his mouth.

"Please stop!" Yelled out a nearby voice.

Yamcha stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard the scream.

A small man with a long white beard approached the visitors.

"I'm sorry for the behavior of the townsmen, really it isn't their fault."

"Who are you?" Asked Yamcha gruffly.

"I am the town leader, Gehatzou."

Yamcha slowly placed his sword back in his sheath.

"Please don't mind them, EVERYONE GO BACK TO YOUR BUSINESSES!"

The group of dwarves quickly lifted themselves up and scurried to their shops and homes, returning to their regular duties.

"I truly am sorry," said Gehatzou as he dusted the desert bandit off, " Welcome to Foorstowne."

"Um, yeah well sorry for the commotion, we just came in for a place to spend the night."

"It's O.K. I'll provide you with my home."

"Thanks, Pu'ar pass the sack of gold."

"Oh no please, it's O.K. just follow me."

"Um, O.K. Well are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Smiled the old dwarf.

Bulma hopped off the desert rider and pressed a little button to the side. The machine suddenly collapsed into a little dino cap. With that they followed Gehatzou as he walked through the town with them.

"Wow, how could these people be this short?" Whispered Bulma, as she walked closely to Yamcha.

The dwarves looked back at the group, full of hate building up in their eyes, seething anger.

"Don't worry about the towns folks now come on follow me."

Yamcha and the others followed the elder into an old cave and up a couple stone steps. Soon they saw a small cottage atop a hill. It overlooked the town below, surveying the rocky land.

"Do come in, please."

The group walked into the old dwarf's house, and hunched down to fit into the petite house as they sat on the floor.

"Ooh, I'm sorry for the clutter, I've been quite busy lately. You know looking over the town and such." Said the dwarf as he quickly tried to tidy up.

"It's OK, this is really immaculate compared to my room." Said Bulma.

"Heh, heh I appreciate your courtesy."

"So how far have you guys come?" Asked the dwarf.

"A couple miles up north, from the Mishoshou Desert."

"Oh poor souls you must be thirsty, Mikaoul, fetch water for our guests please!"

A short dwarf with a long nose and a dark green tunic came out from a doorway on the other side of the guest room.

"Yes Master Gehatzou." He bowed.

"Now tell me about yourselves, what motivates you guys to cross such a treacherous desert?"

"Well I'm looking for my Father's treasures." Replied Bulma.

Yamcha turned around to give her a wayward look.

"I mean, well, he was murdered and his treasures were stolen, and uh… I'm tracking those down to avenge his death." She said as she smiled nervously.

"Oh, poor child, I hope you do find retribution."

"And you must be here to make sure her journey is a safe one, eh?" Asked Gehatzou to Yamcha.

" Uh well, yeah you can say that. I figured why not, since I didn't really have anything on the agenda."

"But Lord Yamcha—"

"Ssshh Pu'ar!"

"Oh do let the creature say something." Smiled the elder.

"Oh um nothing, it wasn't of any special concern anyway, hahaha." Laughed Pu'ar nervously.

"Here you go Master."

"Thank you Mikaoul." The elder took the drinks and distributed it among them, as they reclined on the scarlet sofa at the floor.

"I hope you guys aren't too tired." Said Gehatzou as he took a sip.

"Why do you say so?" Asked Bulma.

"Well, tonight we are having a show at the arena, and you're invited. Usually you'd have to pay, but my treat for all of you." Smiled the old man.

"Gee, thanks, what goes on over there?"

"Fighting."

"Oh boy, look I'm not really good with all the fighting and stuff, so I think maybe I'll just sit this one out." Said Bulma.

"Nonsense, it'll be a delight, trust me it will be fine, not too gruesome."

"Well, I'm in, I haven't seen a good fight in a while." Smiled Yamcha.

"Excellent, and how about your other little friend?"

"I'll stay with Bulma." Replied Pu'ar, "I'm really bad with fights too."

"Fine then it begins in a few minutes, you two can follow Mikaoul to the guest bedroom."

Bulma and Pu'ar got up to follow the dwarf into the nearest doorway. Yamcha got up to dust off his pants, and brush his golden belt buckle.

"I'm sure excited, how big is this arena?"

"Oh, it's quite amazing, it was built by our great ancestors of old."

"Cool, you know it's really nice of you to treat us nice like this."

"No problem, neighbor." Gehatzou held out his hand to shake Yamcha's.

The young man shook the elder's waiting hand and smiled with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, back at Fire Mountain the bald man in cuffs sat before the Ox King, Goku, Oolong and Poroupoi. They were all gathered at the dining hall. The Ox King sat at the big chair in the front of the massive table while the others sat around him. The man in cuffs sat down in an opposite chair across from the king, with Porupoi's bubble surrounding him.

"I ASK AGAIN WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?"

"Eh, excuse me Ox King, my Lord Sir , didn't you say this guy could handle the intense heat here?" Asked Oolong.

"HE CAN, I'VE ALLOWED PORUPOI HERE TO ENCASE HIM, SO THAT IN HIS CURRENT WEAKENED STATE, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR HIM TO ESACAPE."

"Oh."

"LOOK, IF YOU DO NOT ANSWER ME ONE MORE-"

"Wait!" Said Goku, as he stood up from his chair, " You said you wanted to know where the dragon balls were, right?"

The prisoner slowly raised his head.

"I have one right here," said Goku as he touched the little pouch tied to his waist, " I wasn't sure what you meant, therefore I ignored you, but there is something in you that I saw, I can't explain it, but… just from feeling it, I trust that you truly mean no harm."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING BOY?"

"Look Mr. Ox King Sir! I believe he truly is innocent, in order to find your daughter, all we need to do is cooperate with him."

The Ox King slowly turned around disgruntled at the little boy's statement.

"Now why were you imprisoned?" Asked Goku.

The three eyed man stayed quite for a while until he smiled and said, "Why don't you ask the King, it's not like I just decided to throw myself behind bars here."

"THE IMPUDENT FOOL! THE CHILD IS ASKING YOU-"

"Answer it Ox King, why is it that you threw him behind bars?" Asked Goku, as he glared into the King's eyes.

The Ox King slowly turned towards Goku and stared at him. After a while he relunctantly decided to answer Goku's question.

"HE CAME IN ONE DAY, IN ALL HIS INSOLENCE, AND ASKED FOR THAT DRAGON THING HE WAS ASKING YOU FOR EARLIER."

"What else happened?" Asked Goku, still searching for the prisoner's error.

"WELL AT THE TIME MY DAUGHTER WAS ALREADY MISSING. SO HE TOLD ME HE'D TELL ME WHERE MY DAUGHTER WAS, IF I GAVE HIM THE BALL."

"You have a dragon ball?"

"I THINK SO, LET ME SEE WHAT YOU HAVE."

"Kid, didn't you remember when you said Bulma said, that there was a dragon ball's signal coming from here." Said Oolong.

"Oh, yeah." Goku pulled out the orange orb and showed it to the Ox King.

"YES I DO HAVE THAT, WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?"

"First, answer _my_ question, why'd you throw him in jail?"

" I THOUGHT HE WAS AN ACCOMPLICE IN MY DAUGHTER'S DISSAPERANCE. HE TOLD ME HE KNEW OF HER WHEREABOUTS, BUT HE WOULDN'T TALK UNLESS I GAVE HIM THE DRAGON BALL."

"Well, why didn't you give it to him?"

"I COULDN'T FIND IT BOY! MY SERVANTS SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW, BUT IT WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. SO THIS STRANGER WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE MY DAUGHTER WAS, AND SO THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO LOCK HIM UP UNTIL HE SPOKE."

'Well gee, where are all your servants now?" Asked Oolong.

"I KILLED THEM FOR THEIR FAILURE!" Screamed the Ox King, as he slammed his fist hard into the oak table.

"Well it sounds like you're the one that deserves to be thrown in jail." Said  
Goku.

"BOY! YOU DARE SPEAK TO THE OX KING THIS WAY!"

"Yes!" Said Goku, " Because you see this ball, it was given to me by my Grandfather, it was given to me the night before he disappeared! His only treasure! And look! I'm still going to go ahead and sacrifice what is important to me to try and help someone else I do not know!"

The Ox King sat there quietly, just looking at the defiant boy.

"Mr. Prisoner! I'm willing to give you my Grandfather's dragon ball, if you help me locate this man's daughter!"

The stranger slowly raised his head and stared into the boy's eyes.

"You truly are the child, we've all been waiting for." Whispered the man.

"Now Ox King, I've given up what is important to me, but even though it's a memory, it wasn't a precious life. You although in your confusion and rage have given up countless lives! Those of the villagers and your servants, but you still somehow managed to keep your castle and riches intact ! If your daughter's life was truly important to you, you wouldn't go on snuffing out others ! You instead would've respected everybody else's family and children, that is what makes one a King in one's eyes, the ability to put himself or his interests out their for others. "

With that Goku rolled his Grandfather's dragon ball toward the smiling and tearing prisoner. The man quickly caught the ball before it fell off the table, and clutched it to his chest.

"I will help you, just follow me."

"First," asked Goku, "what is your name?"

The man stared into the boy's inquiring eyes, and then proceeded to answer him.

"Tien… my name is Tienshinhan."


	8. Wolf Fang Gale

**CHAPTER 8**

Yamcha walked passed the thick crowd and into the box seat. He landed himself on the comfortable satin chair, that surveyed the arena.

"Wow, these are great seats."

"Yes, it truly is." Said Gehatzou satisfyingly, as he too sat next to the young man.

"I haven't seen a match in a while, I'm really excited."

"Don't you worry this will be good." Replied Gehatzou.

Yamcha could see the whole stadium. The arena itself was a sand colored dirt floor, with white markings on it. Hundreds of dwarves came in and found their seat in the stadium, as they cheered their fighters' names. Huge lamps hung around the arena, lighting it up. It almost looked like midday with the amount of light shining in upon them. The sound of cheering and beating hands could be heard surrounding the stadium, as snacks and refreshments were being passed around. Yamcha tensed up as he waited for the first match to begin. He looked at the anticipation around him and allowed it to fuel his own desire for the awaiting fights.

Then suddenly the voice of the announcer could be heard filling the arena, " Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Foorstowne Weekly Brawl! Today we will have our first match starting right now!" The sound of the crowd creating a wave of mayhem in the air. "On the right side we have our champion Elbaf!"

A stout muscular dwarf came out the oak doors on the side of the arena. He wore a long white beard and mustache. His mohawk amplified his warrior like demeanor. He squinted his eyes as he cheered on with the crowd, wielding his sword and iron shield.

"Yes, folks we are going to start things off with a bang! Because on the other side we have a creature, that is not of our kind! The mean, the evil, the sly, the menacing Goblin!"

On the left side came out a short green armor clad goblin. He wielded a battle axe, as he came hopping out the doors, screaming out obscene language at the bystanders. He exposed his sharp teeth and slobbery tongue. His yellow eyes glared at the crowd as they booed the challenger.

"Wow, that's a mean little guy." Said Yamcha.

"Yes, we found him in our village about two days ago." Said Gehatzou, as he glared down at the vile creature.

"Two days? And he volunteered to fight?"

"Well, no, he was terrorizing the village. So we threw him in the dungeons. His sentence was death. We knew if we made him face our champion, it would be all over for him."

"Wow, that's kinda crazy. I mean why couldn't you guys just let him go?"

"We were afraid he'd return and do more damage to our village, what, do you care for him?"

"No, no way, I was just wondering, nah he could die for all I care."

"Good, then let the games begin." Smiled Gehatzou.

"You guys already know the rules!" Screamed the announcer, " Once the starting bell rings, THERE WILL BE NO RULES! FOR ANYTHING GOES!"

The crowd cheered on, awaiting the oncoming bloodbath.

Dong! The starting bell rings. Signaling the competitors' commencement to brawl.

The goblin quickly encircled the champion dwarf. It wielded its axe wildly, as it cackled at its opponent.

"Come on you despicable creature, fight me so that I can feed you to the birds!" Growled Elbaf.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The wild creature darted towards the stout warrior and leapt onto his neck. The goblin dug his sharp teeth into the dwarf's neck, drawing his blood.

"AAAAAHHHH!" The champion hit the goblin with his iron shield, which caused the goblin to stumble on the ground after a couple of hits.

"Fight like a man!"

"RRRAAAHHHH!" Screamed the goblin, as it spat out pieces of the champion's flesh.

The goblin was incredibly fast. His speed was inhuman, when he darted at the warrior it seemed as if a flea had jumped towards him. The warrior then went in for the attack. He charged the creature head on. The goblin quickly jumped over the dwarf and landed behind him. Before it could take chunk out of the champion's back, it was suddenly interrupted by the warrior's sword coming between its eyes.

Blood spout like a fountain when the dwarf's sword found its way in the goblin's head.

Much to everybody's delight, the goblin screamed in pain.

"You foolish creature you think you can take me down! I am Elbaf the champion warrior of Foorestowne!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" The goblin then grabbed hold of the sword's handle and started to push it further into its skull.

"Oh my!"

"What the?"

"He's mad!"

"He's finished, let it kill himself!"

"What's going on?"

"This is sick!"

"Yeah, that's what I paid for!"

To everybody's bewilderment, the goblin pushed the blade further in its head, causing the other end to protrude the opposite way.

"Oh man! What's that thing doing?" Screamed Yamcha, as he stood up from is seat.

"Hmmm," groaned Gehatzou as he stroked his beard, "Truly an enigma, I really have no idea what's it doing. These goblins they're quite a mystery. I'm truly amazed we even bumped into one, they're supposedly extinct."

"Extinct?" Asked Yamcha.

"Yes, well legend has it, that these green creatures roamed the earth long ago, terrorizing villages and people. Eating diplomats and aristocrats."

"Eating? As in munching and biting?"

"Precisely, the tale goes on to say that they all died off, due to a holy crusade started by one man."

"Why did it eat only political figures though?"

"Oh no, its cousins ate other people, but its kind was designated to feed on the higher figures."

"Cousins? " Asked Yamcha, "Wait look, the Goblin! It's doing something!"

"RRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!" The green creature grabbed the blade from the back of its head and completely pulled out the sword from its cranium.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" The crowd went wild. It was the kind of scream that would have one have chills running down their spine.

"What in the world?"

"This is not good!"

"Champion Elbaf, Kill him!"

The champion warrior stood there completely amazed. He snapped out of it quickly when he heard the cheering of his name. He swiftly picked up his shield and bashed the creature's head hard.

The goblin was sent flying ten feet across the dirt, lying their motionless.

"Good, that's the way to do it!"

"GO ELBAF!"

"WWWHHOHHHOHOOH!"

"Come on, you vile disgusting pile of fecal fungus!" Screamed the champion. His mouth salivated as his anger grew. His veins exposed themselves from under his skin as he encircled the motionless body.

"That was weird." Said Yamcha, " I'm glad he won cause that thing was freaky."

The champion turned around to raise his hands. The crowd grew wild cheering shouts of praise.

"ELBAF!"

"ELBAF!"

"ELBAF!"

"ELBAF!"

"ELBAF!"

The dwarf smiled as his victory and title as champion was once again sealed.

The champion strutted to the other side of the arena, taking in his glory when suddenly a huge axe came spinning its way towards his head, cutting it clean off.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"What the? I though that thing was…." Stammered Yamcha, he felt the fright in the air as the crowd tensed up and looked at the scary creature.

The goblin was standing on its feet, with its head backwards.

It cackled and danced when it realized what it did through the peoples' horrific screams. It grabbed its head and slowly turned it back to its original position. The gash in front of his head, due to the sword wound was healing up quickly, appearing as if it were never there.

The monster picked up the warrior's helmet and placed it on his head. He took the bloody axe and stepped on the champion's body. It grabbed his head and swung it wildly, while laughing.

"That, that thing is sick." Said Yamcha, as he held his hand up to his mouth.

Gehatzou stared down at the dead warrior coldly. His eyes started to tear up as his hands shook on the copper armrests.

Yamcha turned to look at Gehatzou.

"Wow, well I'm sorry for your champion, that thing was low, attacking from the back and all."

"My **son** deserved more honor than that." Cried Gehatzou.

"Your son?" Asked Yamcha.

"My only son." Repeated Gehatzou as he stared at his son's demise.

"Well…I'm sorry." Said Yamcha dejectedly.

Yamcha looked back at the dancing creature as it cackled and laughed. It threw the champions head around like a volleyball, smiling as it did so.

"I'll face it, I'll avenge your son." Said Yamcha defiantly. He was already getting tired of the creature's taunt and foolish behavior. No more, not what this old man did to him, Bulma and Pu'ar, not after giving them a place to stay.

"Don't be foolish boy!" Cried Gehatzou, as he knelt down on the floor. His servants quickly came from behind, picking him up and administering water and towels.

"We need you!" Screamed Gehatzou.

"Master please, enough!"

"Master, do not speak another word, please!"

Yamcha looked at the elderly confusingly. He wondered what he meant by "needing him."

Yamcha looked as his servants dragged the wailing man out.

"Wait!"

"Stay back cretin!" Yelled the bodyguards that were by the doorpost.

"What do you mean, look, I'll face that thing; I promise I'll beat it, trust me!"

Yamcha could hear a voice coming from the down the stairs. The voice was saying something about releasing a child and prince.

"Stay back long legs! We'll escort you when we're ready!" With that the guards shut the door behind them, locking Yamcha in the boxed seats.

"Hey!" Yamcha banged on the solid wooden door, "You guys better let me outta here!"

Before he could break the door down, he heard a wild cheering coming from the stadium. Yamcha quickly went over to the open window and stared down below into the arena.

Much to his surprise, a little child was standing there, in the middle of the arena. The boy stood there with a stoic expression on his face. He looked around at the raging crowd blankly, staring into their angry eyes and shaking fists. He then proceeded to slowly look back at the menacing, dancing goblin.

"What's a child doing here in the middle of the ring?" Yelled Yamcha.

The goblin looked back at the child, it grinned, showing its bloody jagged teeth.

"Hey kid, get outta here!" Screamed Yamcha," Where's his mother?"

The goblin looked at the child intently. It suddenly dropped the warrior's head and let out a shrilly scream.

With a burst of speed, the goblin ran towards the kid with a gaping jaw, ready to take a chunk out of the defenseless looking child.

The child just stood there in his position and waited for the oncoming onslaught.

"Kid, move! Somebody help him!" Screamed Yamcha, "Somebod—you know what!"

With that Yamcha leapt out of the window and down onto the arena, a four hundred sixty two feet drop to the ground.

The young man fell with a thud, right on his feet.

He clenched his fists and stared down at the belligerent goblin.

The goblin stopped dead in its tracks and turned around to face the desert warrior.

"You're not going to touch this kid, not when I'm here." Growled Yamcha.

The creature stared at Yamcha, while the little child just stood there, unshaken by the ensuing event.

"Kill them both!"

"All of them die!"

"Die Goblin!"

"Avenge Elbaf Long Leg!"

The crowd went wild. This was the first time they've ever witnessed a showdown like this. Three in the same arena, ready for mortal combat.

"Uh, excuse me sir, but you're not allowed here," said the announcer, "There should only be two competitors."

"What happened to no rules?" Screamed Yamcha, as he raised his hands and riled up the excited crowd.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Yamcha smiled with satisfaction. He then turned back around to look at the direction of the cackling goblin, but it was nowhere to be found.

"What the?" Before he could complete his thought he suddenly felt a painful sharp feeling on his neck.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" The goblin had already lunged onto Yamcha's neck, biting into the man's tan flesh.

Yamcha quickly lunged himself down on the ground to smash the grotesque imp.

"Get off of me! Get off you idiot! Get off!"

Yamcha then pulled out a dagger from the side of his belt and stabbed it into the creature's head. The goblin swiftly released its grip on Yamcha, and squealed in pain as it held on to the gaping wound on its head.

"Yeah, how you like that? Huh?" 

The goblin continued thrusting and squealing as it held on to the gash that started to pour out like crag from a waterfall. It started letting out unintelligible words, as it agonized in pain.

"What's that what did you say? I'm sorry I don't speak pain!" With that Yamcha sped towards the flailing creature, ready to impale it head on.

The goblin suddenly shot up and held on to Yamcha's hand. The gaping wound that was on its head was already healed, as it stared into Yamcha's eyes grinning from ear to ear.

"What in the world, there's no way."

The creature then lunged its head forward, smashing hard, into Yamcha's jaw.

Yamcha stumbled backward as his vision started to blur. Before he could regain complete consciousness, he felt a blunt attack strike him from his side. Yamcha skidded across the ground, leaving behind his trail of blood.

"Ohh" Groaned Yamcha, as he tried to get up while holding onto his stricken side.

"For somebody who doesn't speak pain, you're pretty fluent." Said a voice right behind the young man's ear. Yamcha quickly turned around to see the smiling goblin wielding its axe. Yamcha kneeled there, shocked at the sudden discovery of the goblin being able to form literate words.

"Hhahahahahhaaa!" As the goblin prepared to strike his weapon into Yamcha's chest, his arm suddenly froze in place, putting the axe centimeters away from the young man's heart.

"Why can't I move!" Snarled the creature, "What is this!"

The goblin then started to levitate off the ground, as it was being turned around to face the mysterious child. The young boy was holding out his hand, as his eyes glowed a soft blue color. The creature was then pulled towards the little boy's direction.

"Let go of me, you, you human scum!" Screamed the helpless monster.

The boy continued pulling the defenseless goblin over to his direction. He made it stop inches before his face, and stared into its yellow beady eyes , quietly.

"You, RRAAAHH! I hate yooouuu! I just want to gobble you up… You are my type you know!" Screamed the unfortunate creature, as it salivated from its mouth, "Look at you, so succulent and young and not too mention a major political figure, you know those are my delicacies!"

The child clenched his hand slowly.

"RRRRRAAAAHH!" The goblin screamed in pain, as he felt his insides being squished into a pulp.

The child then pulled his hand towards his chest, causing the goblin to float closer towards him.

"Your ki is weak." Said the boy, "You guys will not succeed. His reign of terror will stop right here, for the saber of light has arrived."

The goblin stared at the child, obviously shaken and annoyed at what he just said. Meanwhile the crowd screamed for the match to continue. They screamed for an all out bloody, free for all. The little boy ignored their demands for violence and just stared at the trapped goblin, whom he had in his grasp.

The goblin then cracked its neck and started to open its mouth and utter out, in a spine chilling tone, a familiar name, "PIIIIIIICCCCOOOLL-" Before he could finish his thought, he suddenly started to gurgle blood from his throat.

"You will not sully my presence with **that** name!" Said the boy angrily.

"If you can heal on the outside, how about from the inside out?" asked the boy as he let out a coy smile.

The goblin stared at the boy mercifully, searching for forgiveness in his eyes. The creature was aware that the boy was holding his own life in his hand, ready to snuff it out anytime.

The little boy squeezed his hand, causing the goblin eyes to burst out his socket, and his tongue to squirt out his mouth like a geyser. The green corpse then fell down with a thud to the arena grounds, shocking everyone there to silence.

The child stood there still with his hands now down to his sides. He simply turned his head to the left and right, to look at the shock in the audience faces.

Yamcha slowly rose and stared at the little boy.

"You must be of royal descent, that's why he said that right?" Asked Yamcha.

The boy just turned around and started to walk back towards the exit of the arena.

"WWWHHHHHOOOOOOOOO, MORE!"

"DO IT AGAIN!"

"KILL THE MAN!"

"KILL THE CHILD!"

"RIP HIS HEAD OFF!"

Taunts and jeers rang out around the arena, encouraging more wonton bloodshed.

"Hey kid, wait!" Screamed Yamcha.

Before he could get any closer, two armored guards quickly rushed out and blocked his way towards the child.

"You will come with us." Said one of them.

Two more guards came and also blocked the little child's path.

"Hey kid wait! Who are you?" Screamed Yamcha, as he tried through struggle through the guards' spears.

"I have no other business here, I am done." Said the child calmly as he looked into the guards' eyes.

"That's what you think." They replied.

"No, it's what I know." With that the child reached his arms out levitating them off the ground, and throwing them right into the audience.

"KILL THIS KID!"

"WHOA THAT CHILD IS WEIRD!"

"WHERE DOES HE COME FROM?"

"MORE BLOOD, MORE FIGHTING! MORE!"

Taunts, cheers and gestures could be heard bouncing off the arena walls, as it filled the riled up atmosphere.

"Wait!" Screamed a familiar voice through the intercom. "We must commence the sacrifice!"

Yamcha turned around to see Gehatzou standing in the boxed seats, holding some sort of an ancient megaphone, almost like a giant seashell.

"Sacrifice, what is he talking about?" Asked Yamcha, confused.

As the adjacent oak doors opened on the other side of the arena, Bulma and Pu'ar were quickly casted right onto the fighting grounds.

"Watch it buddy, I'll get my Father on you, and it won't be pretty!" Screamed Bulma.

"I thought your father died." Replied Pu'ar.

"Yeah, oh, uh well, I'm sure his ghost we'll surely haunt him, hahaha." Chuckled Bulma nervously.

"Let it begin!" Screamed Gehatzou from the megaphone.

"What is this? Bulma! Pu'ar!" Yelled Yamcha as he ran towards the pair.

All of a sudden a sharp tremor was felt as four gargantuan beasts tore out the arena doors on the side.

"Let the sacrifice begin!" Screamed Gehatzou.

Each beast looked like a mix between a rhino and a lion. The giant monsters were covered

in a tough armor skin, with a red furry mane. They had the horns of a rhino but the face of a vicious lion. The beasts had four eyes and two tails. Their huge rhinoceros like feet stomped the ground beneath them.

"Sacrifice? What is the meaning of this Gehatzou?" Asked Yamcha.

"My boy, my son is dead, it is obvious why. We haven't provided the Gods with a sacrifice in years. Therefore they've taken away my son's life. Now in order to appease them I must offer up more sacrifices in behalf of everybody here, don't worry it isn't your fault. We ignored the Gods, and in order for us to not continually feel their wrath we must present live sacrifices."

"So, you were planning this from the start?"

"Yes, that green creature was suppose to be the appetizer, the warm up, I could never really offer something like that to the Gods!"

"Well," said Yamcha angrily, as he clenched his teeth, " We'll do this, bring it on, if it's a sacrifice your Gods want, then a sacrifice I'll give them!"

"Huh?" Grimaced Gehatzou.

With that Yamcha walked towards the center of the arena where Bulma and Pu'ar were huddled. He stood above them as he turned around to look at the four different monsters coming from the four corners of the arena.

"OK It's no use for a man to fight them, hence I'd have to be a beast. Hey kid!"

Yamcha turned towards the little child standing a distance away from them.

"What are you gonna do?"

The child didn't answer but just stared into the young man's eyes.

"Cool, you do that!" Yamcha then turned around and began to slowly hunch his back.

He lowered his neck and closed his eyes. His jet black hair hung over his head as he slowly opened his eyes, revealing a yellowish glow. His loose arms started to twitch as he crouched on the ground like a wild dog. Spurts of growl and grunts could be heard coming from his mouth as saliva trickled from the corner of his lips. Thick veins started to decorate his arms, as it quickly traveled up and onto his temple. Sweat beads protruded from his head like rain coming from inside him. Growls and grunts were all that was heard from him now as his body started to put itself in a pouncing position.

"Yamcha?" Whimpered Bulma.

BAM. With just an explosion of smoke Yamcha disappeared from the center of them as he went after the closest creature.

"It's no use," said Pu'ar, " he's disconnected with common sense and logic now."

"Wait, wasn't he like this when he attacked that giant desert worm?"

"No he wasn't, this time, he's a real monster." Answered Pu'ar.

The rhino like creature charged towards Yamcha, as the young martial artist came running towards it.

All of a sudden Yamcha leaped over the creature's head, and landed behind it. As the monster turned around Yamcha quickly slid under the monster, while bringing his body up to uppercut the soft underbelly. The monster jerked itself up in pain and stood on its hind legs as it fell on its back. Before the audience could fully realized what happened Yamcha was already gone.

"This, is the full fledged Wolf Fang Gale." Said Pu'ar as she stared at her master, bringing the awesome technique to life.

The second monster then ran towards Bulma and Pu'ar. It was quickly stopped by someone pulling on its tails. It turned around and roared at Yamcha as he stared back into the creatures' eyes with wild eyes, the eyes of a wolf.

The monster foolishly lunged its neck to chomp off the young man's head, when all of a sudden Yamcha let go of its tail and jumped atop the beast's head. Yamcha grabbed onto the monster's horn and started to pull on the creature's ivory weapon. With that he lifted himself off the creature, while grabbing on to its horn, and tossing it towards the oncoming beast from his left side. The one ton beast smashed into its comrade knocking it out, causing a massive tremor to be felt in the arena grounds, Even the surrounding coliseum columns started to crack under the huge quake.

Yamcha landed on his feet and glared into the last monster's eyes. The monster sped towards the desert warrior. Yamcha clenched his fists. He growled as his face grimaced into that of a perturbed wolf. The monster came charging full speed. Yamcha crouched as he prepared to attack. All of a sudden as the monster approached its target, it suddenly stopped, dead in its tracks.

Yamcha quickly turned around to gaze at the peculiar small child, who held out his hand, freezing the creature in its tracks.

"You owe me now, **Prince Yamcha."**


	9. Code Blue

**CHAPTER 9**

"SO YOU'RE SAYING THE CHILD IS UP THESE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE PIAAPART PLAINS." Said Ox King, as he stood at the foot of the mountain behind his giant flaming castle.

"Yes sir, she isn't too far, it shall take us a day, the most, in order to retrieve the child." Replied Tienshinhan, the ex prisoner.

"The Piaapart Plains, I heard that place is full of evil spirits!" Trembled Oolong.

"Well, it was a graveyard for the brave warriors of the ancient times." Said Tien.

"Brave warriors?" Asked Goku, as he secured the heavy backpack around his waist.

"Oh man, just like rumors say! I c-can't do this Goku, I have a thing against evil spirits. They say you can hear their cries and woes surround the vast plains, and they kill any who ignore their pleas!"

"Hahahahahahaha," Laughed Goku, "Oolong, I hate cowards like you."

"Gee thanks for the motivation kid."

"Well my Lord, we're off, we're going to retrieve the child." Bowed Tien.

"And don't forget Ox King." Said Goku as he turned around to face the burly man.

"YES, I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL OBTAIN THE DRAGON BALL I HAVE WHEN YOU COME BACK."

"Thank you sire." Replied Tienshinhan.

The Ox King felt a blunt pain in his chest. He started to regret he threw such a kind man behind bars. He really didn't give him or anybody else a chance. The huge man lifted his axe and placed it upon his shoulders. He lifted his head and looked into the brown orange skies. The wind blew upon his face, as it quickly evaporated his falling tears.

"YOUNG MAN, PLEASE BRING MY CHI CHI BACK IN ONE PIECE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes, you will have her no other way my Lord."

"Don't worry, big guy, we'll get your daughter back, I'm sure Grampa would've helped you out too, I'm just doing what he would've done." Smiled Goku.

"YOU ARE A GOOD CHILD MY BOY, NOW GO! SEARCH FOR MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER."

"Aye, aye captain!" With that Goku started to hop up the mountainside, leaping from crag to crag.

"I HAVE FED YOU WELL YOUNG MAN, THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO FAIL ME NOW."

"I won't." With that Tenshinhan crouched down and proceeded to spread his muscle bound arms.

He slowly looked up, and with one tremendous leap, he jumped up eighty five feet into the air, soaring past Goku and onto a nearby crag.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?" Screamed Goku, as the man's speed and pressure blew his black hair wildly around. Goku quickly latched onto a nearby branch, for balance.

"To the impossible there is no intelligent explanation, it is simply done by disconnecting and not believing in the ever present reality."

"Cool, whatever you said!" Laughed Goku, as he tried to hop up as high as the gentleman did.

Tien broke out a little smile and continued his trek up the mountain.

"Hey guys wait for me!" Screamed Oolong.

"Just turn into a bird or something!" Screamed Goku.

"I can't transform!"

"You said that already and you lied!"

"Oh-oh yeah, hehe, silly me I guess." With that Oolong quickly transformed into a hawk and started to take flight and flew past Goku and Tien, in one swoop.

"It really feels good to know how to fly, eh guys?" Asked Oolong, as he grinned at the pair below.

"Yeah it does."

To his surprise, there was Tien flying right next to him , with the same exact ease as the transformed pig himself.

"What- thee- how'd you how can you?"

"In the realm of reality, impossibility is always only a distant possibility." Replied Tien.

With that he zoomed past the stunned Oolong with gusto. Flying straight up ahead on the mountain's jagged side.

"What's with you and the prophetic sayings buddy!"

"Ooooooohhhhhhh, I want to fly like that too!" Screamed Goku. The boy jumped up and down with glee as he scaled up the mountain with sheer excitement. "Oolong, Mr. Prisoner I want to fly too! Yay!"

Meanwhile down at the base of the mountain the Ox King watched as the trio quickly disappeared from his vision as he looked up at them.

"HA, HA THOSE KIDS ARE CRAZY." Smiled the Ox King, "YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA FIND MY DAUGHTER PUROPOI?"

"Hmmmmhmmh." Smiled the white creature.

"RIGHT, NOW TO KEEP MY PROMISE, I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT ORB IS." Sighed the Ox King.

The Ox King started to walk back to his castle, he stopped when he stepped on a piece of an earthenware vessel. The burly man bent down to pick up the red fragment,

He stared at the drawing of a little child, a drawing of the once happy village he destroyed.

"OF ALL THE CRUEL ACTS I'VE COMMITTED PORUPOI, THIS HAS TO BE THE WORSE, EH?" Teared the Ox King as he stared at the flaming horizon ahead of him.

The huge explosion rocked the earth below the King's feet as a massive black cloud of destruction suddenly ripped its way through the red sky.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" Exclaimed the Ox King.

Out of the burning horizon came forth the Red Ribbon android.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Screamed the Ox King.

The Major didn't respond but kept it moving at a slow and steady pace, towards the perturbed ruler.

" HOW DID YOU GET PAST MY MOUNTAIN GUARDIANS!"

The cold android continued walking up the hill toward the Ox King. The castle behind him had a huge hole, the hole he created just seconds earlier, in order to get to the other side. The Ox King stared at the damage to his castle and gripped on tighter to his axe. The walls were made of the finest and strongest fire stone and granite this planet could produce, and it was destroyed into ashes within seconds.

"**Are you the Ox King Gyo Mao?"** Asked the Major as he approached the burly man.

"WHAT'S IT TO YOU? AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO YAJIROBE AND HIS MEN ?"

"**Answer the query."**

"YOU FOOL YOU HAVE TREKKED UPON MY TERRITORY FROM HERE ON IN, I ASK THE QUESTIONS! NOW TELL ME WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MEN!

The android soon reached the King and stood four feet taller than the big man. He stared down onto the King, belittling his presence. Puropoi flew over and quickly hid behind the King, he trembled in the Major's presence as he started to fade away.

"**I did to them as I am going to do to you, if you do not cooperate."**

"WHY YOU!-" The Ox King quickly lifted his axe up.

"**My purpose is to obtain the dragon ball and a small child."**

The Ox King's eyes lighted up as he realized that the robot was talking about Goku.

'WHAT DOES HE WANT WITH THE DRAGON BALL?' thought the Ox King, 'WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THOSE ORBS?"

"I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT YOU ARE ALLUDING TO!"

"**I have detected them,"** said the android, as it stared into the King's eyes**," The four physiological indications that a human being is lying, you are producing all of these signs on an unavoidable level." **The Major's sunglasses started to blink little red lights as he said that.

"GRRRRR, I SAID GET OUT OF HERE!" The Ox King swung his axe onto the android shoulder, but to no avail.

The Major held onto the blade of the axe with his own bare hands. The Ox King struggled to press the axe down, knowing, it would be to his advantage if he could at least cut his hands.

"**The pressure you are producing is 2000 psi."**

The Ox King continued to press down on the android, ignoring his calculations.

"**The pressure that I am producing is too, 2000 psi. The force is balanced."**

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST STOP YAPPING AND FIGHT BACK !" The Ox King tried to lift the axe back up to try and hack the overbearing nuisance in front of him once again. The axe stayed in the palms of the Major as if were part of his body. The Ox King struggled to bring it back up, but to avail.

"**Weak human even when I lie to you in order to boost your morale you still do not show any increase of strength."**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"**My psi is greater than yours man, we can never be on equal grounds."** With that the android lifted the Ox King up with the axe and threw him over his massive shoulders.

As soon as the Ox King landed on the ground, the Major's hands quickly collapsed into a machine gun and shot at the injured King. The bullets rained upon the poor King as his body rattled to the greeting of the hard pellets.

"**Foolish human, resistance is futile. You should've cooperated with my demands, and refrain from retaliation."**

The Major turned around and looked up at the mountain ahead of him. **"According to the GPS inculcated in my systems, up this mountain lies the Piaapart Plains."**

The raging fire continued to burn around the village and castle. The Major stared onto the burning horizon**. "The scent particles of the child I am after was definitely here, I have detected them, and with him should be a dragon ball, according to recent intel from HQ."**

"**I will trek up this mountainside and continue my search for the child and dragon ball."** With that the Major hopped onto the jagged rocks and climbed up the steep blood burgundy mountain. **"He must be on his way to the Piaapart Plains."**

* * *

Meanwhile in a village somewhere along the coast of the seas, a man was running way from a nearby monster. He was badly beaten and bruised. Blood poured from his mouth and eyes as his leg muscles convulsed in pain and shock from hitting the soft ground.

"Huh, huh, huh, he has returned, the D-d-d-The Demon King has returned! He has returned!"

The man had an army fatigue on. His clothes were torn apart and burnt. The bruised man ripped through vines and shrubs running away from the impending danger. "Gener—Ge-!" Called out the man, as he went through the dark thickening jungle. His body was covered in seaweed and sand, whatever he met out there was on the beach and was closing in on to their base fast.

"General Blue! General Blue!"

The soldier ran faster and faster into the night jungle towards the base breathing heavily as he finally approached the steel doors.

"General Blue! General Blue! He's Here ! The D-Demon King is HERE!"

The two other soldiers guarding the gates stared at the oncoming victim as he quickly approached their proximity. They flashed their searchlights towards the man to identify in the dark atmosphere.

"What's going on soldier?" One of them asked.

"I-I-It's my team ,they're gone, they're all d-d-ead. They've been killed by his monsters, HE'S BACK!"

"What do you mean gone?" Asked the other cadet, " Soldier get yourself together and explain me your status, what's going on?"

"The Demon King he's here, he's back, and he's gonna wipe us all out!" Screamed the frightened soldier, "Please you have to tell the General!"

"The Demon King?" Asked one of the other soldiers confusingly.

"Rick, I think we should take this guy in, I think we may have something serious on our hands."

The two officers turned around to escort the injured cadet into the base.

As the trio walked in, soldiers were seen training and exercising. There was a basketball court on the left of the base and a shower room. A huge hangar was on the far corner of the base towards the south. A huge Red Ribbon Army flag could be seen waving in the center.

"We might wanna take that down guys, even though he could fly, it would be harder for him to find us. That'll give us the chance to arm up." Said the hurt soldier to his comrades.

"Are you a fool? We are not going to lower our flag for no scum of the earth, and definitely not for any wild animal running amuck out there!"

"Where's your common sense! Don't let your pride be your deaths, this thing is beyond normal! It isn't just any wild animal you know! It's the demon spore of Lord Piccolo!"

"Quiet, you two! Now come on cadet the General's quarters is right here."

"No need for me to see him." Said the booming voice.

The three soldiers looked up onto the tall blond hair blue eyed man. He was wearing a brown fatigue, and a policeman cap. He had a saber on his left side and a pistol on the right. The fair skinned man walked down the metal steps as his leather boots created an echoing clack sound, that drove fear down the other soldiers' spines. General Blue, was one of the commanding Generals of the Red Ribbon Army. His many badges reflected the white light of the fluorescent lights that lit up the base, almost blinding his nervous colleagues. The General was entered into the army as a small boy of fifteen. At only sixteen he was recommended to go into an assignment that involved obtaining a dragon ball in a secure military base. The country of that military knew of the secret mission of the Red Ribbon Army and wanted to know why they were after these so called magical orbs. Twenty men were sent to the base to retrieve the orb.

After a bloody gunfight between both sides only five of the Red Ribbon spy team remained remained. The military quickly surrounded the five men, but captured only four. The youngest cadet Blue escaped by the skin of his teeth. After the report of the failure was sent to Red Ribbon HQ the young sixteen year old was told to resolve the issue or perish.

He managed to go back use what he utilized before to escape, telekinesis. An ancient form of ki control . The lad forced himself into the base with such stealth and profession, that fifty six soldiers were dead before the base recognized the invasion. When the base figured him out, they threatened to end the lives of the four remaining soldiers held hostage. The boy already knew the base in and out, thanks to reconnaissance map he memorized days earlier. Even though it was nighttime, this mission wasn't anymore difficult for him to accomplish, the dusk only made it harder for the them to pinpoint the boy's exact position. Before the military could come up with another ultimatum, news reached them of the dead hostages in the cellar, the young cadet Blue had finished them off himself, now there were no obstacles holding him back. No ultimatums. The report sent a shockwave down the opposing military's spine, they quickly tried to regain themselves while the child killed every single one of them with his bare hands. With outstanding success he managed to obtain the dragon ball and completely decimate the base single handedly. When push came to shove the boy learned it was do or die, even if that meant gutting his comrades with his own cold fingers.

His remarkable durability and resourcefulness has risen him up the ranks faster than any other General in the army. At the tender age of twenty one he became the youngest General of the Red Ribbon Army. Now at twenty six his ferocity was worse than ever, but what hid it ever so well was his crystal blue eyes, that reflected the rays of the moonlight ever so slightly, his soft face, and bright blonde hair. The young man walked towards the trio, as they and the others saluted him. There was an aura of insurmountable confidence about him. His piercing eyes and calculating walk, from the top down he was the embodiment of the ardor and strictness of the Red Ribbon Army, General Blue. Ice cold Blue.

"Well ruffian, where did you come from?" Asked the General in his sharp British accent. He took out a tissue from his pocket and raised it up to his mouth.

"You're a mess, why is that?" He asked, as he scrunched his face in disgust.

"W-w-ell G-general sir, forgive my appearance, b-but my team and I were sent to the depths of the sea to search for the dragon balls themselves, on your permission that is of course, b-b-but we were—"

"Didn't I tell you I already knew what happened?" Shouted the General as he continued to hold up the tissue to his face. "You know, nothing gets on my nerves more than a dirty man."

"I'm s-sorry General." Bowed the cadet.

"If you really were you wouldn't have sullied my presence with your careless appearance!" Yelled the General, " Take care of him gentlemen."

"Yes Sir."

"P-p-please sir no! I ha-have a girlfriend back home, s-s-she's expecting a kid in two months, please Sir, for my child, please!"

"Wait!" Shouted the General, the soldiers stopped in their tracks, as they tried to drag the pleading cadet to his death.

"How rude of me," said the General, as he stared onto the ground," Sometimes cruelty takes the best of me." He then gazed up into the starry sky.

"Forgive me." He said as he turned around to face the tearing cadet. "Forgive me."

"Men, please just take his head off, and send it off to his love back home. That way Daddy can always be there."

"Yes Sir."

"N-no, Pl-pl please Sir! Noooo! PLE-ase! NOOOO!"

"Really, where are my manners?" Asked the General to himself.

"O.K. men we have pressing matters upon us!" Yelled the General Blue, the surrounding soldiers started to line up with their artillery.

"Good, good, just like I've already told you, you all have armed yourselves, because what is about to come through these gates and into this base will be the most horrifying thing you'll ever witness. Now the source in which this creature came from, is more horrific than it, but since close to eighty percent of you won't make it out alive after today, he'll be the last and most horrifying thing you'll ever see! Do you all understand!"

"YES SIR! GENERAL BLUE SIR!"

"OK, excellent then, because he's already right behind you guys."

The frightened soldiers turned around to uncover a giant pray mantis like creature. It stood about seven feet tall, and five feet wide. Its body had a protruding green exoskeleton, its eyes bulged out just as those of a mantis. Except they were red, but the same ominous stare. Its blood covered mouth was that of a shark. It had huge wings, four to be exact. It had scythes for hands and stood on hind legs, legs of a lizard. Its big emerald tail swished back and forth, exposing the jagged spikes at the end of it, complimenting the three horns on its head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The men opened fire unleashing their collective fury onto the beast towering over them.

One by one the bullets fell down, causing no harm to the agitated creature.

"FIRE THE URANIUM SHELL!" Screamed one Lieutenant as the men started to fall back, shooting as the went along.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT THING?"

"WHERE IN THE HECK DID IT COME FROM?"

"JUST SEND IT BACK TO THE HELL IT CAME FROM!" Screamed a nearby Sergeant.

BOOM!

The sound of the tank shells could be heard ripping through the air as it collided onto the giant monster. Helicopters fired down rocket grenades and .50 caliber bullets upon the surrounded creature. Smoke soon covered the area as the onslaught and mayhem continued. The continuous firefight lighted up the night sky, giving show to their unmerciful slaughter.

As the smoke cleared, and the firing subsequently died down, the shadow of the monster could still be seen standing in the same exact position. Motionless.

"Is it dead?"

"It's not moving."

Within seconds the monster's body collapsed into pieces, as its head rolled off its neck, and wings slowly rip apart.

"YYYYYEEEEAAAHHH, WE KILLED THAT FREAK!"

"WHO ARE WE MEN?" Screamed a Lieutenant.

"THE RED STORM! HUHUHUHUHUHU!"

"You IMBECILES!" Screamed the General.

"AM I EVER WRONG! WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"

"But Sir, we've finished the nuisance right in front of your eyes, and with no losses." Smiled the soldier in a nearby tank.

"WHAT DID I SAY EARLIER!"

"U-u-uh, you said that most of us would be gone." Gulped the now shaken tank man.

"GONE DEAD! EXACTLY! THAT IS WHAT I'VE SAID!" The General pulled out his saber, "YOU FOOLS!"

Without a moment's notice the mantis like creature swooped down and gulped down the frightened tank man. It appeared out of nowhere in the night sky.

"OH MY G-" Another man was sliced in half by its huge gleaming scythes.

"FIRE!"

The bullets rained upon the monster once again, and again there was no effect. The creature grew more and more agitated as helicopter rounds, and rockets, tank shells and grenade launchers were tossed towards him. It walked through the mayhem slicing and eating the men as it went along.

"CALL HQ! CALL HQ!"

"It's no use! This thing's already cut off all communication lines!" Yelled the General," You imbeciles the only thing that monster did was shed its skin, that's why it seemed as if it died back there! When in reality it just flew up into the sky!"

"G-G-GENERAL BL-" Another fifteen men were chomped down with such speed, that it seemed that their sudden appearance only existed in the General's imagination.

Blood spilled, guts splurged. Screams emanated. Brains and skulls were flying everywhere as the monster made its way through slicing and dicing the tanks and helicopters, pure mayhem shook the very core of every soldier, as the first time in the longest time they were once again face to face with their old enemy.

Tanks flew fifty feet in the air. Uranium shells were stopped in midair as the creature swung it back towards the helpless men.

"RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The monster's piercing scream disabled the surrounding soldiers as they fell down to cup their ears. Unfortunately that rose up the death toll, as the screeching sound exploded the heads of the poor cringing men.

"I will not tolerate THIS IN MY OUTFIT!" Screamed the General, as he pulled out his saber from his side.

The General charged towards the monster cocking his blade back. As he approached the beast he dodged its swinging arms and hopped on to one of its scythes. He managed to quickly hop off of that one and swung onto the one atop of him. The General then swiftly lunged his saber into the creature's skull as his own eyes glowed a glimmering blue. With one clean strike, the saber embedded itself into the monster's head. The sapphire light that emanated from General Blue's eyes whipped around his head and traveled down onto the sword.

The creature let out a shrilly noise as it tried to scream the name of its creator, "PPPPIIIIIIICCCCOOLL-" It was abruptly interrupted as the blue aura around the blade suddenly rushed into the creature's head causing its eyes to roll back and mind to go blank. As the monster's body started to go limp; it fell down dead vibrating the cement ground.

The General ripped off a nearby shirt from a corpse and wiped his blade clean.

"Disgusting." Grimaced the General.

"What did he just do?" Asked a nearby cadet.

"He just shut down the monster's life force from inside." Replied another soldier.

"Wow, this guy's amazing."

"I know, and to think that he did all of that with his mind."

The General placed his saber back in its sheath. He walked over to the remaining soldiers, with his handkerchief up to his face. "What are you buffoons looking at? Clean this filth up now!"

"Yes Sir!"

The soldiers scrambled over to clean up the destruction and death that laid along the large island base.

General Blue looked back and clicked on his walkie talkie, "General Blue to HQ, Blue to HQ."

"General Blue!" Responded the voice from the walkie talkie.

"No need to worry, the situation is completely under control now."

"Men! Take a photograph of the creature and send it over to HQ!" Commanded the General, "I'm not sure what it is, but the monster uttered what seemed to sound like pickles."

"Pickles?" Asked the voice.

"Yes, one of my men came running in; claiming that the monster was the child of some sort of a demon."

"Repeat that name again." Ordered the voice on the electronic device.

"Pickles, or Picc- something, I'm not sure."

The General could hear muffling on the other side of the walkie talkie, with the sounds of scrambling feet and loud whispers.

"General! We are going to transport a helipad over to your base to pick the corpse up! No matter what do not move it!"

"Got that." Blue then shut the walkie talkie. He clamped down on it as he stared at the motionless beast on the ground. He began to wonder what kind of excitement, fear or terror crept up onto the souls of these men to sound the way they did. All he mentioned was pickles.

"Hmph, demon child." Snorted the General as he began to walk away.


End file.
